Vanterpool defends Dr Smith, Walwyn over plane and wall probes
Fourth District Representative Mark Vanterpool has come to the defence of two of his former ministerial colleagues in the National Democratic Party (NDP) administration over ongoing criminal investigations stemming from their time in office.
Vanterpool, while speaking in the House of Assembly (HOA) yesterday, July 14 suggested that former Premier Dr D Orlando Smith, who served as Finance Minister at the time in question, and former Education Minister Myron Walwyn, should be given due process and the benefit of the doubt while the probes are ongoing.
One of the investigations surrounded the disbursement of some $7.2 million towards the startup of BVI Airways — an airline which never materialised; while the other investigation centred around a perimeter wall for the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) which reportedly cost more than $1 million but was never completed for various reasons.
“There are people who have served this country and served it for umpteen years honestly and fairly and we want to lock them up,” Vanterpool argued.
He said Dr Smith did many great things for people at the local public hospital and for people all over the world yet when he was ‘trying to do something great again’ in trying to get an airline to the territory, “all of a sudden they want to lock him up.”
“Have the investigation, but don’t condemn people before you even start,“ Vanterpool pleaded.
Vanterpool said he was concerned about the issue.
And while making reference to the probe on the ESHS wall, Vanterpool said: “You build a wall, and everybody all of a sudden believes that this wall, everything went wrong and the minister for the wall has to go to jail. What [did] he do?”
He continued: “Let us see what he did before you start condemning him.”
Vanterpool complained that everyone was all of a sudden interested in the COI but said nobody was interested in the economy any longer.
The legislator also claimed that the BVI is in a crisis, and argued that his voice will be heard in the House of Assembly in the coming months.
Vanterpool also questioned who will call for a Commission of Inquiry into the affairs of the United Kingdom, arguing that he could list a number of things that were happening in the United Kingdom that required a COI and are being covered up.
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Man go sit down all of you ministers you mentioned are cu**upt to the core.
Yup they are all nervous. Now defending each other’s corruption like they all be saints. Governor please expand Balsum. More cells are going to be needed!!!
You are saying that Dr. smith and Myron are corrupt to the core? What evidence do you have to substantiate this? Is it now that we just point on people and call them corrupt without any proof. I guess I could say that you are corrupt and that will make it true.
Did you read at CoI report?
My brother, I like you as a person, and as a businessman. But take a long look, and clean your own damn room up first, then you can talk $hit about others all you want. If you can do that then condemn, criticize, and scream from the hilltops all you want. You’ll have the moral high ground.
But currently, the state of your room, never mind your entire house, is embarrassing. This two faced circus you talking is getting more and more sickening.
I watched the COI and I still cannot understand what the issue is. Walwyn and his team gave good and understandable evidence. I was impressed with the evidence of Steve Augustine. If what he is saying is true the Audit office made some serious errors.
What I didn’t know was that the project was approved by the cabinet to be done the way it was and that is legal. So why is Walwyn being targeted if cabinet approved the project to be done that way? The issue with 40 contractors who got work under 10k without paper work is something that should be looked at fairly. This we know has been the case in every government departments. If you get a bush cutting contract you don’t have to bring paper work. Once the job is under 10k no paper was required. If that was an error the government was making them correct it. Don’t try to make it look like this is the first time it happen. This been happening for donkey years and the civil servants truthfully believed that this was the policy.
This to me is like trying to prove something for reasons other than what is good and right.
its was more than 70 contractors who were employed and more than “40” did not have contracter trade license ….
Good and understandable evidence does not mean it is true and correct.
My hope is that the investigation is to learn the truth so that others will not make the same mistake. If it shows that there was some shady business where they profited then that’s another story.
I cant see these two individuals lining their pockets…..Walwyn I believe was trying to spread the money to a large number of people. Dr. Smith I believe wanted this very badly and was mislead.
My 2 cents.
Man writing his political obituary.
Benefit of the doubt? With public funds. Get outta here.
Mark VTP you’re part of the problem in politics. Just stick to your supermarkets please.
So we must condemn them a report says so without any evidence? Is this how it works now?
What? No evidence? Did you actually read the report?
Bro,just sit tf down and stfu cause you are not an ho**st businessman. You’re charging people for food at your restaurant and giving them something different…lol making it sound nice on the menu, but when the food come that’s a different story. DO BETTER, “Connie”!!
Should I know her? Her name has been popping up lately.Hmmm..Connie Connie Connie. I want to meet her. In fact I cant wait to meet her. Sounds like an interesting gal.
Of all the politicians these are two who I believe are honest people. I believe if there was anything criminal that was done by Walwyn it would have been found out already. How many years this going on again? The only fault I could see in Walwyn is maybe he was trying to help the poorer people to get some money to help themselves. All who know this man know that he always helping out some how.
I personally sick of hearing about this wall and plane. If these men had done something wrong it would have surfaced by now. It is unfair to have their names and reputation held up like this for years and there has been nothing but talk. If they have done wrong and you can prove it, Do what you have to do. But if you have nothing be honest and decent and come out and say you have nothing unless you are busy trying to manufacture something. We all know the British don’t like to lose. They held Gucci for something that make no sense. I hope he files a suit against them.
Nothing wrong with handing out $ 7.2 million of public moeny and getting nothing on return? No explanation/
Nothing wrong with spending $ 1 million + on 70 contractors, 40 of which had no contractor’s license, to build a wall aroud a school at 3-4x NYC union mason rates? For what?
Really? You see nothing wrong at all with that?
So if what you are saying is so then you are suggesting that the people who worked with the ministers colluded with them to do these things. For example, if the wall was done at New York rates then the engineer had to be in on it. The project manager, the permanent secretary, the finance officer and the other senior people on the ministry who were involved in the project had to be in on it. Or are you suggesting that the minister drew the plans, did the engineering, did the costing of the wall, did the project supervision, put through the payment vouchers etc all by himself. It is wise to think before talk.
They are still standing. Thank God. The one man who dug a grave for them by running down to the governors telling lies fell into the same graves he dug. I know these two men and I know them to be honest, hardworking and kind people. Show me what they have done.
The former Premier was digging a hole for Walwyn and Smith through the COI … whet is the Premiet now . He who hath eyes to see let them see. The truth is right in your face but prejudice and corruption is blinding our judgement
I miss Myron from the government. That is all I will say for now.
you will have to miss him as I telling you now he is not getting back there!
I encourage Myron not to run again. He was one of the best representatives we have had here but people in the BVI are ungrateful. We don’t appreciate hardworking, honest and helpful people. I told him to stay in his business and look out for himself because these bad people do not deserve him. Let ayo continue to be entangled with drug dealers, gun runners and witch craft lovers.
Vanterpool doesn’t seem to appreciate that UK is the colonial master of the BVI, not the other way round.
In the UK the scrutiny system works because we have a proper democracy where tax payers get to vote. The MPs they elect have just ejected the Prime Minister.
In the BVI there isn’t a proper democracy where tax payers get to vote. That is why absent a CoI there is no scrutiny. That is why we have so little to show for the billions of government revenue which has been generated since the late 1980’s.
I don’t agree with those who are saying that if Walwyn had done something wrong, the evidence would have come out by
Now. I am not saying that he did anything wrong , but look at the allegations against the former Premier. The Affidavit outlining his alleged criminal activity only just came to light in late April. However, those of us who read it would recall that he was involved in these types of activities for quite a while.
Before that story broke weren’t there many of us who considered him an honest individual? Some will hold that view even if he’s found guilty. My point is that we never know. We may look at persons as being honest or dishonest for that matter. But let’s just wait for the outcome of the criminal investigations to be complete.
Someone said in an earlier post that Gucci should bring an action against them. For what, pray tell? He hadn’t had his day in court yet, How can anyone vouch for him at this stage! He has to answer to the charges as he knows exactly what transpired. Let the facts come out for goodness sake. There is a reason he was charged and others were not…..yet.
All that talk but nobody haven’t reach out to us concerning out pay MR Walwyn promised his workers .
God Don’t like ugly everything is for a time .
Mark need to take a sit far to the back.
The easiest place to kill people name is in Tortola. How long you hearing talk about this plane and wall. You see any evidence or action taken besides talk from the authorities? Don’t you see the game? How long they investigating these two things? And we are here tearing down these two former ministers based on what people say when we don’t have the full facts. Stupidness is not sense.
For this reason I would never go into politics. Walwyn worked hard for this country. The man represented and did a lot of good things. He helped a lot of people around here some who turn around and had the worse to say about him. People here just wicked and ungrateful. I know dishonest people and Dr. smith and Walwyn are not dishonest people. If they did something wrong then do what you got to do and let them defend themselves but to have this lingering and lingering with plain talk is just bad. You want to ruin their names in case whatever case you bring against them cannot stand up. That is plain out evil.
It has been evident for quite some time that the UK has ruled out corruption and deliberate wring doing by Dr Smith and Government in The Airways deal.
The disgraced and now house arrest in a foreign land ex Premier pushed with all his might to claim otherwise.
The Divine shut down the noise.