Use UK’s Freedom of Information law to request release of COI report
Political commentator and clergyman Claude Skelton Cline has issued a desperate plea for concerned parties to intervene in the delayed publication of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report.
The report, which was delivered to Governor John Rankin weeks ago, is not expected to be shared with the public until June.
In the meantime, Skelton Cline who has repeatedly expressed his dissatisfaction with the governor’s release timeline for the report, begged persons in the United Kingdom (UK) to file a freedom of information request so that it can be shared with the British Virgin Islands public.
“I have never fielded so many phone calls and WhatsApp messages in my entire almost four years now of doing this programme as I had this last week,“ Skelton Cline said on the Honestly Speaking radio show recently.
According to the clergyman, the main issue was that the public will be wrong for accepting the governor‘s proposed timeline for publication of the COI report.
“Do you know what I want us to do? I want us to find somebody in the UK who is a Belonger in this country [BVI], but they live in the UK. And I want the person under the Freedom of Information Act in the UK to request the COI report on the Virgin Islands,” Skelton Cline said.
He continued: “I need some people to help. I need us to help ourselves to get a hold of some persons in the diaspora from the Virgin Islands now living in the UK – they have Freedom of Information there, that we also need here.”
Skelton Cline further stated that while the public was seeking the report, the governor instead issued a graph showing the timeline of the report’s expected release date.
He argued that the governor’s constitutional right to issue the report as he saw fit, was a violation of the basic human rights of residents in the BVI.
“[This] means that the governor’s constitutional right is an immoral and an unjust right that is ascribed to him per our constitution,” Skelton Cline argued.
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This guy getting antsy sah! Hold on papa, you going get your turn very soon. I hope when it’s time to talk, you will talk.
You sound scared little boy and you are a disgrace to the church
After the events in Miami, Claude should be very afraid of the 5 o clock knock.
Actually, he’s only doing this because he knows that there’s nothing in there for him. The premier already “leaked” that the report only recommends. Hopefully we’ll see this report quickly though.
The COI report is available to download from the BVI Beacon.
https://www.bvibeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/COI-Report-Print-Version.pdf
Pee myself. I always thought this guy had a screw lose but this folly being sent out in the electronic media shows me how wrong I am. There must be a number of screws in disarray hidden somewhere in grey matter but surely not in his head.
Tell me lad what you spew out sounds good and enlighten but a bunch of hog wash. Do you really think that you have the mental intellect to enlighten a country on moral and political issues.
Do you have any idea nincompoop how long it takes to get freedom of information. Have you done any research or the thought just happened to attached itself to some solid waste somewhere in your system.
FYI the release of the document would be out before the ink is dried on the application for FOI. You should really do better Csc. There are actually some folks who would believe that your rhetoric is from grey matter instead of solid waste. Excuse me I have to go. I want to pee again.
He says – “…they have Freedom of Information there, that we also need here.” But if we had that we could use it to get details of his various unfulfilled and overpaid Government contracts – is he sure he REALLY wants that to happen?
I know that F*T A****T and his band of “merry men” don’t want any public scrutiny of the inner workings of the dictatorship. That’s a fact.
So yes, let’s get some freedom of information legislation on the books. Which of the overpaid and underworked members of the HoA will bring that in? Anyone? Anyone at all? (crickets)
Claude the COI was not conducted on the UK, it was BY THE UK but on the BVI. The person living in the UK despite being a Belonger has no rights to request a document related to the BVI, under the UK’s FOIA. That would be a very slippery slope my friend and I think you should have enough common sense to understand that.
You are wrong. A request can be made but don’t expect anything to be released by the UK Govt prior to the Give for releasing it. The UK Govt has numerous procedural ways to delay any FOI request.
LOL. Where you been to think he has any common sense and much less any common decency.
FoI requests can be requested by any person regardless of citizenship or residence. Information or documents requested do not have to be related to the UK, be about the UK or originate from the UK. However, documents or information must be in the possession of a UK public authority.
Any person may make a request under the FoI Act regardless of citizenship or residence.
Common sense is not relevant in interpreting law or statutory provisions. Common sense can often lead you to inaccurate conclusions.
The problem with the CoI report is that it may fall into an area of privilege and the FoI request will not be authorised.
Why the media continue to report on what he says? People are tired of seeing this guy in the news. Surely there are more important things to report on in the BVI than reporting everything this guy says whenever he opens his mouth.
The governor has stated he will release the report in June.. That is at a minimum 5 weeks away. Whomever has an urgent itch to see the report before June needs to preoccupy themselves with something else to do until such time.
Filing any Freedom of information request at this stage is simply stupid as these kinds of requests are not immediately acted upon. There is no need for it at this time. People just need to be patient and stop drumming up needless trouble.
The irony here is this mouthpiece who is suggesting this was against the COI inquiry from jump and had much to say about the ongoing inquiry even attempting to liken it to some racist colonial inquiry designed to take over the BVI. Now they want to be first in line to get the report. The darn nerve.
Now, if the report that will be released in June is not released as promised by the governor or its heavily redacted, then one can argue that filing such a request is necessary.
I need a break from this guy’s echo chamber and Im sure Im not alone. Im mad @ myself for even responding to this article yet find it necessary.
This character needs to take two seats: One for his rear end, and the other for his running mouth. Enough of him…Mr. “empty kerosene can”.
…Because clicks are everything to these sites and if they didn’t post it you nor myself would be on here clicking, reading and commenting. This is also why people like Claude will continue to talk s**t because they love the exposure. Such is life….
lol 😀
“Why the media continue to report on what he says?”
Because he and Julian Esteem have a pact, it appears.They both want power. they both think that because they went overseas and lived in the big wide world, that they are smarter than any of us here, so they elevate themselves to ‘advising’ us on history, politics and so on like we a bunch of mumus.
They are abusing the simple minded with their attempted manipulations. They have no priincplies, just ego and lust for power Esteem provides the media platform, Decline has the pulpit and flock. Between them they try to make it look like their marginal opinions are shared by the mass of the people.
Dirty business, no good for the BVI.
We want the lists of farmers, fisherfolks and businesses that got a stimulus. We have been asking for this longer than we’ve been asking for the report.
But We want the lists of farmers, fisher folks and businesses that got a stimulus. We have been asking for the lists longer than we have been asking for the report.
ok then!!!!!
Anxious much! I wonder why? Wasn’t calling no one to check your contracts and to ensure you delivered appropriate outcomes though. Pathetic!
Sit down, shut up, and stop stirring the pot. Do not instigate unrest. You and your co-horts have been doing damage to the BVI and its people for so many administrations now. Just sit and wait, the time to speak will come. If you truly care for the BVI shut your mouth.
Who can request FOI in UK?
Anyone can make a freedom of information request – they do not have to be UK citizens, or resident in the UK. Freedom of information requests can also be made by organisations, for example a newspaper, a campaign group, or a company.
What is the Freedom of Information Act? | ICO
https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-freedom-of-information/what-is-the-foi-act/
Can we ask CSC to get foi on the fishers and farmers list. What about the money spent on the youth program. No sorry that is private info from a public source using public funds.
these locals always want and never give nothing to nobody taking and taking all the time not legal the coi needs to investigate alse about the properties and houses how do they build? and what mpney they used?