Vanterpool didn’t file any interest declarations for roughly six years
Fourth District Representative and former minister in the previous NDP administration, Mark Vanterpool did not file any declarations of interest for up to six years during a period while he was in government.
All member of the House of Assembly (HOA) are required annually to declare their private business, properties, and relevant assets into the Register of Interests, which is essentially a record kept of any private interests that may conflict or may be perceived to conflict with their public duties.
Vanterpool confirmed his more than half-decade-long delinquency to make declarations when he appeared before the ongoing Commission of Inquiry (COI) last Friday.
The legislator who served in the House of Assembly (HOA) at the time the Register of Interest Act came into force in 2008, also served previously as the first head of the Standing Select Committee (SSC) responsible for oversight of the register of interests in HOA in 2016.
The committee reportedly only met once in 2017 after its establishment and during Vanterpool’s tenure as the head.
Vanterpool acknowledged that a conflict of interest could be seen in his chairmanship of the SSC and his habitual non-compliance with his obligations regarding the Register of Interests Act.
A section at the end of a report that former Registrar, Victoreen Romney-Varlack prepared for the former Governor, Augustus Jaspert, said: “The Honourable Mark Vanterpool did not file a single declaration for the period 2011-2018.
Vanterpool corrected the record to show that he did indeed file a declaration for 2017 and the legislator was only late in making declarations after 2016. Further to this, he volunteered to tell the COI he inadvertently neglected to declare two of the businesses he owned during the times he actually made declarations.
The legislator also confirmed that he received reminder letters from the former Registrar to file his declarations on time.
Curiously unanswered questions
Leading up to his hearing on Friday, the COI had asked Vanterpool through a questionnaire whether he ever failed at any time to comply with his obligations in making declarations of interest. The document also asked for a full explanation of why he did not make a declaration if that was the case.
However, it was brought to his attention on Friday that those questions went entirely unanswered in the document with the responses he submitted to the COI.
Vanterpool instead chose to enclose copies of previous submissions he filed with the Registrar as his response to the questions.
“Why didn’t you disclose that for six years, you had not even filed a single declaration?” COI attorney Bilal Rawat asked the Opposition legislator.
Vanterpool, in response said: “Commissioner, I would not try to defend anything or try to make an excuse. It was not done. It was negligent on my part and I have learnt my lesson from that and that something of such importance, I would suggest — especially for the purpose of the future, persons involved — that it need not be negligent on important matters like this and I don’t have any specific reasons I can give you to make an excuse to that.”
After confirming that the filing of declarations was an important task, Vanterpool was asked why he found it to be such an onerous obligation.
He declined to accept that characterisation and instead stuck to his earlier statement that he was simply negligent and offered that he would not add or subtract from that description.
“That is the best explanation I can give,” Vanterpool stated.
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It appears the “Action Man” was missing in action for an entire 6 years when it came to declaring his interest with the registrar. That pretty much covers a significant period of his tenure in government.
He said he was “negligent”. I agree. Shame on him.
Now, saying one is negligent is just a cop out to close down discussion. But not so fast Mark. Why did you not file your interest in those 6 years?
We all have our POPCORN and will be watching cause beach boy always have urine to post on his facebook page
Cancel the constitution and let’s start all over again with closer supervision, more transparency and a plan to improve our education, eliminate the drug cartels, create more sustainable industries.
Commissioner: “is there any other statement you want to make today?”
Beach Boy: “no”
Commissioner: “Um,GOOD!”
LOL LOL LOL
What a damn shame on these Legislatures. Clearly this demonstrates their lack of being transpatent much less honest. No Integrity No Moral Scupples, Just Greed!
If you never write anything down no one can accuse you of lying.
If you never have the committee that is supposed to enforce the reporting , you cant get into trouble for not doing it.
Makes life simple for the corrupt.
LMFAOO….Ronnie just said kidnapping and being held for ransom LOL LOL …..on a small island like this bro???? I can’t believe the things I’ve heard since this inquiry started.
The whole island already know some of them bread butter on both sides but he said what he said???
Carvin always have time to sit on the beach and making Facebook posts, but dude ain’t got time to file his papers and blaming it on Covid…..and like the commissioner pointed out, Covid didnt prevent the Registrar from doing he job. LOL
*from doing her job*
The worst thing about the whole COI is those paintings behind the witnesses. Why on earth are they not symmetrical? It looks terrible. How can we claim to be a mature democracy with such poor interior design?
LOL I found the paintings a bit distracting especially the oddly placed one at the corner (right)
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, YOUR TITLE AS STATESMAN HAS ENDED FOR ME.
Did it ever begin? How does one become a self-proclaimed statesman – and neglect their district?
He said he was a STATESMAN AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD THING UNTIL THE UNDER LINING STARTED COMING OUT.
This man only functions when he is in government. When he is opposition he is useless
This culprit is far worst than the esteemed one but ayo only hating on the good speaker
Now I see why it is so important the BVI to become independent.
How many hours does it take to fill out the form of Register of Interest.?
52560 hours. That is 6 years!
Love to know how much he made from the government during to shut down, food distribution debacle.
So much money that he now owns Pussers and is opening another One Mart in the East.
Let’s not forget the property in Free Bottom and the one he now have Pockwood Pond. Look out for the next kmarks to go up down there.
Make them declare before nomination day and if they don’t then it will be grounds for forfeiture
The Governor should be presented with their declaration of interest before swearing them in….That need to be the policy going foeward..The Governor can make that policy..
JAIL! NEXTTTTTTTT!
And all the container Tax and Customs duty in those super market containers that left PP without stopping or Seals ???
I thought he would have been given the entire DAY seeing of how many times this dud€ does pause when talking LOL LOL (munching on pop corn and enjoying this inquiry)
Think of the amount of official break the law commit with intent, wilful..It seems like we will have to Use Lambert beat Resort as a Prison for these officials..
I just listened to the testimony of former Speaker Mrs. Moses-Scatliffe and I gave her an A+. She was calm, dignified and answered respectfully. What a drastic contrast from the current Speaker who acted like a der***ed lu***ic. His actions have done more harm to this country than good. He and his supporters can continue to think they can make rules for the masses while disobeying the rules that are supposed to govern them. I expect this CoI to go on for years.
A man sat in front of a commission of inquiry board for an inquiry that has a predetermined out come and not only defended himself but also defended the BVI as a whole.
And you want to talk nonsense about such a man? Sounds to me like the only person who is deranged is you my friend wake up
# ( 1 ) Deh Dawg In Deh House. # ( 5 ) Ting To Talk # ( 8 ) Shake Up Shake Up This is the VOTERS HOUSE, “HOW SWEET IT IS “
He just take over pusser a month now and allegedly cant pay his staff
Ohhh my. I hope that’s not true cause I prefer the staff their than the staff at The P_b…have one ugly h@g does act like she own the place. Pussers is my place to go,round of applause for their great customer service skills.
He didnt show up to fight, or to make excuses, or to create hurdles, he man up in a respectful way, apologize and he was out of there….Yep..The way to go.
The Governor should be presented with their declaration of interest before swearing them in….That need to be the policy going foeward..The Governor can make that policy..
Makes me wonder what the former governor was doing. He seems to have been onesided with his Government preference as to what’s an important issue or not. Gross years of negligence by the NDP Administration yet he engaged in public feuding with VIP administration.
This is the man that fought to get into the HOA because he wanted to show Willock who had the bigger b@ll$. Funny thing is he is still absent a lot so it was just a waste of time and money. He should have just resume his resignation and let someone with the passion and time for politics to take over.
Watching the final verdict on the Register of interest I am ashamed how NDP brought shame to the VI. They made a law, broke the law and then failed to enforce the law. The Registrar complained to the Governor, to Dr.Smith, to Mark who was supposed to be the person who would deal with the people who were in breach. Mark was the like the rat that was put in charge of the cheese. He like Marlon rarely held meetings and they were the biggest breaches.
exactly; then once the comittee was developed, appointed himself chair of the comittee?
We let this happen!
The COI shouldn’t take all the credit for exposing the lapses though because this was reported years ago but nobody cared enough due to politics at the time. NDP had everybody wrapped around their fingers to the point they were screwing everything up while pretending to be our knights in shining armor. You can forgive most of the current members for their ignorance except the Premier, Marlon,Mitch, Mark and Fraser.
BVI Investment Club. Ask him about that!?
That whole deal is a crime against the whole country. All them legislators dipping into the cookie jar on that one. They also mess up Virgin Gorda for ever (even before Irma hit)
Wonder what his status is with social security & NHI payments for his employees ?
How can this legislator do his job if he is so busy running a supermarket and now restaurants. And then FAILING to report these outside interests. The whole debacle stinks
Wrong is wrong= to is wrong.
THESE GREEDY MO**ERF**KING POLITICIANS DOES ONLY CARE BOUT THEMSELVES WEN THEM GET IN AND THEY TAKE IT SO HARD JUST TO GIVE WE THE PEOPLE SOME CHANGE TO HELP PEOPLE OUT. THEM ALWAYS COMPLAINING ABOUT BEING BROKES AND THEY THE SAME ONE ROBBING THE MONEY DOING S**T