Sir Gary calls for investigation as gov’t statement to COI leaks
A government position statement leak published on an online news website yesterday prompted calls for an investigation from the head of the Commission of Inquiry, Sir Gary Hickinbottom.
The issue was first raised by COI attorney Bilal Rawat who said the leak was discovered when the COI took a lunch break on Wednesday.
Rawat said the article was published on the Julian Willock-owned Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) and is titled, “CoI document reveals ‘turf war’ between Ex-Governor Jaspert & VI Gov’t”.
The attorney said the 33-page document referenced in the article was a position statement on behalf of elected ministers filed and served with the COI on June 1, which has not yet been published by the COI.
Position statement shared with Governor’s office
Rawar said prior to this date, the document had been shared with two members of the House of Assembly (HOA) represented by the Silk Legal law firm. The document had only been shared with one other entity — the Governor’s Office, since then, Rawat said.
According to the COI lawyer, he felt the statement required further disclosure from the elected ministers. Therefore, it was sent to the Governor’s Office as that entity needed to be put on notice of the content which criticised their office.
This was also done for the Governor to make any submissions that he wishes to make, Sir Gary said.
Rawat said it was made explicit in the COI rules that all those who receive documents from the COI in the accepted manner are bound by a duty of confidentiality to the Commissioner.
“The substance of the leaked document will be the subject of this inquiry,” Sir Gary said.
Serious allegations made against past governor
He said the document contained serious allegations from government ministers that Governor Augustus Jaspert and the United Kingdom government have acted improperly, unconstitutionally, and illegally.
Sir Gary added that this was in the sense that they have acted against international law and in respect of matters of governance.
Contrary to speculation by participants of the COI and some members of the media, Sir Gary assured that he will be investigating these criticisms.
The Commissioner said this investigation must be done properly. However, he noted that both the Attorney General (AG) and ministers whose position statements were lodged had confirmed that they have no redactions before its publications.
According to Sir Gary, the position statement contains various personal information which both himself and the AG have a duty to protect. This is in addition to information the AG said may be confidential.
Breach being taken seriously
The COI issued a statement late last evening which said, the Commissioner takes the breach of confidence that has occurred “extremely seriously.”
The Commissioner further directed during the hearing that the Attorney General and the Governor’s Office provide by 9 am today a list of every person who has had access to this document. They must also provide confirmation that enquiries have been made as to who has had access to the document so as to ascertain who from that list may be responsible.
Once these have been received, the Commissioner said he will make any further enquiries that he considers appropriate.
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Is the speaker the culprit? MAYBE THAT IS THE REASON FOR HIM NOT WANTING TO COMPLY WITH THE COI.
It is always easy to pont fingers to the ones we hate as the leak but I have learn that leaks usually come from the areas and persons least expected.
I see the beach boy minister posted on his facebook that he’s all in to watch it today. Let him eat his popcorn cause his turn coming
The CoI has a lawyer practicing without being admitted and now has sprung a leak. Oh dear!
Is that you Mr.Bu||f**g in the powdered wig?? LOL
This is not about anyone hating anyone. NO ONE HAVE THE TIME TO HATE ON A GLAZED F***T C**E. I also believe JW is the culprit.
Who ever leaked the document might have made their biggest professional mistake. The COI could decide to take legal action for the allegations made against one of its senior members. If it does choose to take the later position, there is an area in law, where the COI could ask the court for the news site to release the name(s) of the party who turned over the leaked documents to proceed with legal action.
I hope the COI takes the aforementioned position. This foolishness must stop.
But, teacher why do I have to turn in my homework and projects ON TIME, but our GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS don’t have to???
I think we can probably guess how this document came to be in the hands of VINO.
That aside, how the speaker is treating the process of the COI with such contempt. In taking the stance he is taking and apparently seeking to obstruct what is a legitimate process under BVI law he is single handedly proving that the COI is necessary.
It is a real shame because Willock he does not represent the views and attitudes of most people that live in the BVI yet he is being allowed to give such a poor impression of the place to those on the outside looking in. It is totally damaging, completely unfair and he needs to be removed from his post immediately and not allowed anywhere near government.
100%
He’s been bringing the BVI into disrepute since before this CoI
We actually have a law against journalism that does this. Even though the racist, [other] website is not real ‘news’, through its headlines, anti-immigrant, anti-white, slanderous and libellous output, it has made the BVI look like a nasty, hatefully place.
How much business have we lost – tourists, investors, etc – because people looked at [the other] website and decided we are just a territory full of evil and hatred.
He wants the hatred. He wants the conflict. Like ClaudeSCrime, he seeks to benefit from sowing confusion in all areas so people don’t know where to look…
You are 100% correct and what is even more alarming is that he is behaving in this manner and NOT ONE person on the Government side, especially the leader, has seen it fit to reign him in and stop the madness.
Even after a few hearings it has been shown that the COI is totally necessary.
Some of what Fraser said yesterday was quite shocking. He actually said that he or his colleagues in the house would “never” object to a waiver to exempt a member from vacating their seat when obtaining a government contract. He admitted that he did not even consider whether it was “just” to grant such a waiver because apparently it is “always just”.
He then went even further and told the COI that someone in the house did object once but would never do it again because it made them unpopular.
He also admitted that he did not file his register of interests for three years.
What does this say about who we have represented?
It shows that the politicians that we elected to office care nothing about upholding the law nor do they respect the people that put them in office.
Everyone just does what they want, when they want and how they want and why? Because we allow them, and no one holds them accountable…so ashamed with some of the information that is now coming to light through COI (mind you we always suspected itbuthearing it actually being admitted is something else)…
Good points but what took the cake for me is when he said he had no issues with backdating a legal document. I was floored by that statement from a sitting elected official who has been in the Legco?HOA for over 20 years.
His representation was extremely poor.
You have to just look. It is all their in plain sight. The corruption is not just tolerated, it is coveted. Arrest these people and let’s move forward.
This is not an independent inquiry.
The document should have been made public from the time the COI recieved it. The Governor nor the FCO should have not been given a copy of the document and allowed to respond before the COI makes the document public. This lacks integrity.
Watching this COI is like watching a modern version of the movies ROOTS.
Are you smarter than a 5th grader?
If the BVI was allowed to respond to the allegations against the BVI before the coi like how the uk is being allowed to respond to the allegations made in this document against them before the coi makes it public then this would have reflected true democracy. Right now all this coi represents is a slavery mentality.
Everyone’s Political Careers is in jeopardy.
Today is water cooler day talk in the office Y’ALL. LMAO.
To bring drama to the mix. Every other elected member can appear before the Commissioner without fanfare. Not him.
The COI proceedings and outcomes are more a reflection of the voters in the BVI than the elected officials. Let that sink in for a bit!
Yeah I’m ready for this farce to be over.
Why was it leaked to VINO of all news sites? Seems like this one could label the owner as the culprit I really think he could because this same thing allegedly happened to so many other where their info was leaked to the news site by it own news people.
SpeakeVino. I wonder..
On a profoundly serious note, does anyone own the copyright to these COI hearings? I predict a professor publishing a college textbook on poor leadership, lack of financial accountability, nepotism, lack of civic duty, lack of transparency and accountability in government, and there would be these hearings that occurred in the BVI. Mark this blog.
These politicians need to answer Rawat’s questions and do not provide further information or make any comments. Yesterday, a minister asked for clarifications for what constitute 3 months. I paraphrased, the minister said that people have different meanings for what is 3 months. At that point, I realized that this COI is not going to end well for most of the people in the BVI.
Also, BV Islanders, all countries have political mechanism in place to remove politicians who are corrupt. Some of these politicians get caught sooner than some. Rawat is not practicing law, he is investigating corruption. This is the same as a principal who investigates who may have cheated on the final exam. BV Islanders, we need to educate ourselves, analyze the situation and then make an inform decision.
If this government had continued with no accountability, the country would have been financially broke in a few years. Please open an educated dialogue on how and if racism places a role in this.
Focus…..Focus……Focus……
Master wants all of the pie, so master send down his school yard bullies.
We Phuck…..Aren’t nothing matters any more the out come done writing just going through the mortions to makeit seems legit..
But The Father don’t Sleep.
Oh STFU Julian W!
I agree, STFU JW. YOU HAD BETTER KEEP YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH THE COI OR THE PEOPLE IS CALLING FOR YOU TO BE ESCORTED TO THE NEAREST POLICE STATION FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY.
COI nedds to investigate more deep in to them specially when the NDP ! NOT THE VIP!!! . THOSE CORRUPTS NDP PEOPLE! HIDDEN DOCUMENTS! FOR SURE
This is my comment and I am only speaking
for myself. I have also asked the Universe to forgive me if I am wrong. I firmly believe that the Speaker of the House and his news site is involved/responsible. IS HE NOT OWNER AND EDITOR OF THAT TRASH NEWS SITE?
he is in everything let’s take a look \ his CLANDESTINE collaboration with the brown bomber on the 3rd district \ he was allowed to waste our taxpayers $$$ to fight down mark \ he and those other canaries pushing this new (racism ) vibe as a distraction / with his trademark blogging using different names ~ we know that well what goes around comes around ??
the COI is going to cut you down to size along with those who allowed you use that position like a spoiled child is just as bad as you ( your self esteemed arrogance is creating an implosion within thyself but you won’t know it , you too big