UK official ‘out of place’ in calling BVI corrupt — Premier
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley. Photo by Andre ‘Shadow’ Dawson/BVI News
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has rejected claims by UK commentator Ben Judah that the BVI has become “quite corrupt”, describing the remarks as “utter nonsense” and challenging critics to produce evidence of corruption convictions in the territory.
Judah made the comments during a discussion on Britain’s overseas territories, where he suggested that some jurisdictions had developed governance problems.
“They’re not huge populations but places like the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands and these places have become a bit of a problem for the UK because they don’t receive any sort of large amounts of money or support from us,” Judah said. “In some ways, they become quite corrupt, like the British Virgin Islands. A lot of corruption that takes place there.”
Judah also argued that the long-term solution for the territories would be closer integration with the United Kingdom. “The best outcome, in my view, would be to incorporate them boldly and proudly into the UK, give the people better public services so their local elites don’t need to do this sort of fraudulent thing that they’re doing,” Judah stated.
The comments were put to Premier Wheatley during a press conference on March 6, where he rejected the description of the Virgin Islands as corrupt. “I think Ben Judah is quite out of place calling the Virgin Islands corrupt,” Dr Wheatley said.
I dare them to name one person in BVI convicted of corruption!
The Premier said his experience living in the territory contradicted the claim. “I’ve lived there all my life. I’m familiar with the people. It’s a proud people that we have here, hardworking people, people of integrity,” Dr Wheatley stated.
He added that critics should present concrete evidence to support such allegations. “I would challenge them to bring to my attention even one person who’s been convicted in the Virgin Islands of corruption,” Dr Wheatley said.
The Premier acknowledged that governance reforms had been discussed in recent years but said that did not justify describing the territory as corrupt.
“As I said before, we had some administrative challenges that needed to be improved in our governance structure, but I definitely reject this concept that the Virgin Islands is a corrupt place,” Dr Wheatley stated.
He further suggested that Judah should visit the territory and examine the situation first-hand.
“He needs to travel to the Virgin Islands and do some investigations, and he will find that what he mentioned is utter nonsense,” Premier Wheatley said.
Judah previously served as a special adviser to the UK Foreign Secretary and has written extensively on British foreign policy and global affairs. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office oversees the United Kingdom’s relationship with its overseas territories, including the Virgin Islands.
The territory has been under increased scrutiny in recent years following governance reforms recommended by a commission of inquiry, prompting administrative changes to strengthen oversight and public accountability.
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Yes, you are so right.not the Bvi,but your government.you government is a bunch of corrupted crooks.
We must begin by separating the actions of Hon. Fahie from the character of the people of the BVI. It is difficult to find any example where an entire nation is held responsible for the actions of a single leader. That is simply not how accountability works.
What we are seeing instead is the use of the word “corruption” as a dysphemism—language designed to evoke the impression of something far more systemic than the evidence supports.
Consider the COI. Many critics expected it to uncover widespread corruption that would justify a UK takeover. Yet its findings pointed primarily to administrative and operational shortcomings—not the sweeping corruption that had been predicted.
If systemic corruption truly existed on the scale suggested, we would expect to see a long list of prosecutions by now.We have none(Fahie was personal ambition, he merely used a position of power/influence as a vehicle)
So what is Mr. Judah suggesting that he has no confidence in his own UK institutions? After all, the COI was established by the UK and led by a UK-appointed jurist. If its conclusions did not support the narrative of systemic corruption, are we now to assume that the process itself was compromised?
Or are we meant to believe that the favorable outcome for the people of the BVI was itself somehow the result of corruption?
The reasons that no one gets convicted is because of the corruption.
Corruption? BVI Airlines, School Wall, Airport, Bank of Asia.
All of our problems could be solved if we brought in a group of consultants from McKinsey to prepare a top down overview of what we can change to get on track. I think all of this could be accomplished through reimagining eduction.
Given what has emerged in the last 5 years as well as the woeful state of the BVI’s infrastructure and public education; these denials are very funny.
Where has all the money gone? It’s billions since the 1990s.
Is water wet?
When you keep DPP hamstrung with unqualified people there won’t ever be convictions. Your grants during COVID should have put you behind bars. Your wasteful spending before any quality of life should put you behind bars. That your cronies kept you from raising the minimum wage to a living wage should put you behind bars. 40 million wasted from Social Security should put people behind bars.
Your predecessor is behind bars! His partners dead!
Your failure to publish Government audits should put you behind bars.
Your government’s leases should put you behind bars!
Corruption? Absolutely!!!
Tell us who went to prison in the UK for the BILLIONS OF DOLLARS misappropriated during the COVID pandemic? Remember there was supposed to be a COI there and it was cancelled because of the pandemic and it never happened? Who got locked up over there? Nobody? Okay.
Dont forget Boris’ rennovations
Everybody know how things work here. The lack of convictions is part of the corruption. If head coach didn’t go international with it he would be right here doing his do still.
Mr Premier, I caution you to not tempt fate,
Your di***aced utterance in the face of glaring truth is beyond belief.
The society/ the people in the BVI is not corrupt
It is:
1. Politicians in Government are the Culprits
2. The Seniors Public Servants in the departments that ARE corrupt and hide and manipulate schemes for the Elected Officials .
That is where the corruption lies
No Governor had enough eyes to find them
Greedy, self serving kleptocrats and kakistocrats are forms of ultra corruption.
For example, the Greedy Bill followed by the 300% hike in salary, retirement and perks illustrate clearely corruption to its authentic core.
Meanwhile, the people are being gouged daily of their poverty stricken wage of $7.50/hr, by the providers of critical goods and services.
Many know that one of the stated goals made and intentions and to accomplish was to use the people’s purse to ennrich themselves.
And, that intention was persued and accomplished. Isn’t that a corrupt thought and action?
The COI report conclusions.
“I dare them to name one person in BVI convicted of corruption”
just because you weren’t convicted doesn’t mean you are completely innocent
“the lack of evidence is not the evidence of absence” meaning (If police search a house and don’t find a weapon, that is a lack of evidence.
But it does not prove the weapon never existed or that it wasn’t moved before the search.)
I think that’s why yall keep our DPP there despite all her loses cuz yall know them does lose serious cases very easily
had they trial them in uk or usa by competent jurors and judges then they were gone long timeee
imagine promoting anti police songs and songs about violence,drugs,fast life,partying and gangs at every event….then those same young adults will come selected as jurors to decide if a killer/drug man/ corrupted official should be found guilty or not……………… espcially on a small island where everyone knows everyone…related or not
Labba Labba mouth…A wha dat under him nose? A mouth!
So was Fahie not corrupt?
Fahie is the BVI?
Must be retarded! Head coach and his friends
I don’t believe he say “name one” when the person who had his job before him literally in prison right now for conspiring to use bvi port to traffic cocaine. He ain’t say that ayo lying.
Where is more corrupt than the United Kingdom? They call us corrupt because blacks are not supposed to have access to what we have. Blacks are supposed to be workers and cleaners at the resorts, villas, company buildings etc. They want BVI to be the next little St. John, Cayman etc. where they have all the say and are the movers and shakers. If the BVI is so corrupt why don’t the UK Nationals living here want to go back to the UK? They vacation in the US and elsewhere and only go back to the UK if its absolutely necessary. Let’s call it what it is, the black boys and gals have way too much land, commercial buildings, nice boats, nice cars. Everywhere has some level of corruption and there are authorities in place to deal with that. What makes BVI more corrupt than any other place? These buzzwords are their dog whistle for pushing for takeover but I would caution them not to mess with the BVI people because there will be hell to pay! The UK Nationals here are tripping up themselves to get BVI status to live, work, own property and businesses yet when some of them speak about the place you would swear it’s little Zimbabwe. The narrative is all about lack of control, that is all. Funny how no UK Commissioner of Police was ever called corrupt despite all that has happened in the force. No UK Prison Head has been labeled as corrupt after all that has happened there, especially recently where two hardened criminals escaped months ago and we still don’t have an update. White is right I guess!
In answer to your question the UK Natiionnpals in these VI are not victims of the elected by the people crooks in these VI,
The victims are the locals, the sole victims of Black on Black crime in these Vi..perpetuated by the imported and the elected.
The UK Nationals
are winners in this tragic game as the Bkack on Black saga of detriment proves the theory of Nixxergs ain’t chit.
Whether or not the UK is corrupt does not change the truth that these VI are corrupt.
Your statement and outlook is that of a criminal mentality and if you are a member BVislander you are demonstrating the mentality typical of those who are the practicing crooks,I hear that reasoning often in these VI.
The corruption talk only comes up when people don’t get what they want. Give me a break! The BVI is 24 sq miles and many are related by blood or close friendships. We all ask for ‘locals’ to be given all opportunities so if the politicians are locals, the government workers are local and the service providers are local, isn’t there going to always be situations where persons who are known to/by the awarding institution will be awarded contracts, opportunities, which can be labelled as corrupt?
“There’s no war in Ba sing se”
Bro you’re the premier right now because the former was pushing booger sugar through the ports
Alas Hon. Premier, The Truth Hurts But The B.V.I. is Corrupt at the Highest Level and You know it. You are acting as When it Rains, You will want to tell the School Children that the Sky is Leaking. Those who are Corrupt will NEVER admit that the B.V.I. is Corrupt and that in itself Makes it even more Corrupt. Mr. Judah is Right!!! Wish I could Shaje His Hand or give Him a Nod. Hon. Premier, Wake up from your Slumber and Face Reality. If, I am ever Privileged to meet you, I will Better outline to you The Sequence of Corruption in the B.V.I. and The Corrupt Gatekeepers. The B.V.I. is Very Much A Corrupt Little Nation!!!
When you do what you do, you get what you get. Man has remained the same as he was a thousand years ago. Greedy, envious and burdened with great sorrow.
For all the comments with dislikes saying “UK corrupt too”
So bcuz UK corrupt we must be corrupt too??
Monkey see monkey do???
Do better man
Bvi making so much and increasing taxes on everything but the place and living conditions are getting close to middle Eastern ear zones strpz
Show host,,,anyone ?
MASTER WEATIE ,IS SAYING )> AI YOW GOVERNOR , LEH ME PUT DIS TO YOU , #1 YO OUTA PLACE DIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY AND WE AIN’T TEKIN NO SH*T FRON ARYO WHITE COLONIALIST SLAVE MASTERS ,(DEM DAYS DONE ) AN I AIN GINE SAY IT AGEN
@WIGGIE boy clown at it again?
I am a born here, and I am calling you corrupt.