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Report on BVI Airways audit to be made public ‘shortly’, says governor

Governor Jaspert

The report into the controversial deal between the Government of the Virgin Islands and the defunct airline, BVI Airways, will be made public ‘shortly’.

This is according to Governor Augustus Jaspert who gave that indication during a conference with members of the media on Friday, November 1.

He said: “The Auditor General has been working very hard on her report into the BVI Airways. That report is now concluding and it will be given to me. And after that point, I believe up to a period of three months it will become public. So that will be coming forward shortly.”

Governor Jaspert further said the report was done because the BVI Airways deal raised questions.

“I didn’t commission them (the Office of the Auditor General). The Auditor General operates independently and she can look at any area that she deems warrants an investigation. We discuss areas, but she also looks at areas herself,” the governor said.

The Governor first announced news of the audit back in July of 2018. The previous National Democratic Party (NDP) government gave the controversial airline $7.2 million to commence non-stop flights from the British Virgin Islands and Miami in the United States.

Since receiving the funds, BVI Airways has missed all its promised dates to commence the flights. It then laid off its staff claiming it needed more money to fly.

In the meantime, Premier Andrew Fahie said the territory is suing its former attorney Lester Hyman, who is or was a director of the defunct airline, BVI Airways.

“I would say that the matter is in court in the United States of America, and we have been told to refrain from commenting. But, I would just like to say that there is no secret that the BVI has a strong interest in retrieving its $7.2 million,” Premier Fahie said at the time.

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18 Comments

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  1. vip heckler says:

    but how the premier said that this cant be spoken about?

    Like 8
    Dislike 2
    • Dunce says:

      You too much of a dunce! Premier said he was advised by attorneys not to speak about the lawsuit against Hyman.

      Like 4
      Dislike 5
      • Huh says:

        What’s the difference smarty pants?

        Like 5
        Dislike 1
        • Wilson says:

          Why didn’t Orlando conduct any due dilly? Why did Orlando accelerate the payments to the company? Who received the finders fees that this company paid?

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          • Vippppp says:

            Why did Orlando invest $7.2m in an airline that could land on our runway when he was promoting the idea of accepting $300 million from another investor who would build a longer runway? We didn’t need the longer runway if Orlando’s 7.2m airplane could land on our existing runaway? Right? Who be talking advantage of us?

            Like 1
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          • Minister says:

            Why did Dr Smith give them $7.2 million big ones when he was trying to convince us to give him another $300 million big ones to build a longer runway?

            Dr Smith told us he needed $300 big ones to land the plane from the US. But we now know that we only needed to spend $7.2. Dr Smith gave him $7.2. But the plane never took off. Where is our $300,000,000.?

        • Damn says:

          He cannot speak about the details of the case…damn

    • @vip heckler says:

      Foy is king of all liars of the universe. The devil can’t come close to he. He liar than the devil to infinity. All when he blink he lie.

      Like 12
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  2. Wow says:

    I hope Dr Smith & his gang will go to jail

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  3. Justice funds all says:

    Premier Fahie I respectfully posit that you have total and commplete immunity from all criminal or civil litigation while you are you are, responding, debating or making any presentations as a legislator in the House of Assembly (HoA).
    Accordingly all of our Legislators are Exempted from the Doctrines of “Sub Judice”, as it pertains to their utterances in the (HoA).

    Like 2
    Dislike 2
  4. Justice funds all says:

    Premier Fahie I respectfully posit that you have total and commplete immunity from all criminal or civil litigation while you are responding, debating or making any presentations as a legislator in the House of Assembly (HoA).
    Accordingly all of our Legislators are Exempted from the Doctrines of “Sub Judice”, as it pertains to their utterances in the (HoA).

  5. Please says:

    What about peer park we dont need it to just go public we need you and the COP to keep a conference and tell the people if a criminal investigation is warranted.

    But I guess it will be swept under the rug as a civil case that will drag on for years until everyone forgets about it allegedly.

  6. Political Intelligence says:

    Dear King Liar Foy*, ARE YOU ANY BETTER? will there be audit on what happened to the monies with after school program?

  7. Political Observer (PO) says:

    The NDP team was bamboozled, played like ignoramuses on this $7.3M give away of taxpayers money to a defunct and bruk airline that had serious prior problems staying airborne. The signs were there to stay to hell away from this ”bruk” airline yet the NDP team, an educated bunch, took the bait hook, line and sinker.

    The taxpayers got nought for it money. This is the biggest and most embarrassing blunder of the NDP tenure and will be a permanent stain on the NDP legacy. This fiasco screams for financial authorization, appropriation and expenditure reform.

    No one member should be able to spend $7.2M without the full HOA debate and approval. Operations and Maintenance /Capital budgets passage, government should still have to go back to the HOA for any individual project greater than $100K. This will require the HOA to meet more frequently, ie once a week or more frequently as needed. The HOA need workshops on various topics before taking a vote.

    Moreover, let’s keep our fingers crossed that this was just bad decision making and squandering of taxpayers money and nothing else. Bad and inept decision and political blunders may not be a crime; they are just people wading too deep in the water and over their heads. The West Minister model is flawed. But that is another story for another day.

    Like 3
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  8. People says:

    The Governor is playing the BVI people for fools. Under the Constitution he alone has the power to investigate anything in government that seems to have gone wrong. The reason he is avoiding it is because he is trying to save his friends in the last administration. He needs looking into.

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