Wheatley denies ‘HOA apartment’ rumours, slams former Speaker
Ninth District Representative Vincent Wheatley has strongly refuted claims that he ever stayed at an apartment on Tortola paid for by the government at any time after he was elected in 2019 with the Virgin Islands Party (VIP).
While debating the audit report on Assistance Grants in the House of Assembly (HOA) yesterday, March 9, Wheatley disclosed that he was approached by a resident who asked about the allegation.
According to Wheatley, who resides on Virgin Gorda, he immediately denied the claims when the resident accosted him recently.
“When I was first elected, the then Speaker, not this one now, came to me and said, since you live off-island, we are going to get you an apartment [on Tortola], in case you have to stay over. Sometimes the House [of Assembly] may run late, so we’ll get you an apartment,” Wheatley said.
He added: “I said to the Speaker at that time, I say, ‘If this is the way you plan to waste taxpayers money, I absolutely want no part of it’. I said to him, ‘If I have to stay over, I have enough family, friends, or money to rent a hotel room, do not engage me in wasting taxpayers’ money.”
The former Labour Minister argued that he had better ideas of how to use taxpayers’ money than to let the former Speaker take $2,500 a month to rent a place for him that was unnecessary.
“I don’t even know where it is. Never been there, never seen, I don’t know anything, so please, for the record, I have never been in an apartment down here. I don’t even know where it is. Please do not associate my name with any apartment on Tortola,” Wheatley pleaded.
I’ve had to take the police launch
Meanwhile, Wheatley’s comments stood in contrast to those made by former VIP member and now-Ninth District candidate for the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM), Shereen Flax-Charles, who is also a Virgin Gorda resident.
“The apartment was supposed to be a shared apartment with the other [HOA] member, who travels from overseas,” Flax-Charles disclosed at a recent press conference.
The lawmaker cited security concerns when declining to disclose how often she actually stays at the apartment but acknowledged using the apartment given that House sittings sometimes end very late at night.
“I’ve had to take the police launch on many an occasion [to Virgin Gorda], actually falling and severely injuring my knee on that police launch one night,” she shared.
Flax-Charles related that she has a teenage child that lives in Virgin Gorda and said she needed to commute to be with her child. She further contended that, while she signed up as a political representative to help the territory, she did not sign up to neglect her child.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
Why is Vincent using the esteemed as a scape goat? They all knew what went down!
Cousin Vinny have a stash apartment. Never know when you have to hit the mattresses. You never know, I’m just sayin
Every time you see those 2 up Trellis Bay when they were in office, they were always acting high and mighty waiting on their speed boat to transfer them back to VG. Now, the 2 seem to be quite bitter towards each other. She talking about police launch, but not the private speedboats that she used LOL
Vincent is an arrogant incomer, I prefer that a homeless man from VG represent us and not that Minister
Vincent you should be ashamed of yourself. Act like an adult not a child.
if Butch wants to get at Flax why is he using willock? it makes me sick to my stomach
Sometimes the House [of Assembly] may run late.
If the HOA actually started on time this would not be necessary.
Value for money, start on time and save taxpayers money.
Vincent is not a nice person. A nice person is respectful and nice to everyone everyday. Not some days. Catch him in the act people and find out for yourself.
I watched his face in the COI when he was questioned about receiving gifts LOL that little r@$cal, I guess I trained him well. I don’t believe a thing he says. You think a crackhead will turn down free crack? Catch ya for happy hour my boy.
Even if he did stay in an apartment when he’s on Tortola paid for by the government… I don’t think its a big deal. This is nothing compared to the millions wasted on fake grants, shady contracts and useless uk lawyers
it can’t compare but its still wasting money.$2500 for 1-4 nights a month. that’s.$120,000.00
“I said to the Speaker at that time, I say, ‘If this is the way you plan to waste taxpayers money, I absolutely want no part of it’.
—————————————————
Ask yourselves, does that response something you or I would say if we were in that position and asked about receiving an apartment?
IMO, on its face, it does not sound believable.
I can understand the latter part of his reported response where he stated he had family and friends on Tortola that he could stay with in the event he needed to overnight on Tortola or he could rent a hotel. but to talk about not wanting to waste tax payers money is simply unbelievable.
If you know something say something and stop the shading. You don’t add anything by insinuating or saying he’s lying. Bring some proof to the game to be a game changer.
Here is the question I have for them in VG. Do they get Travelling allowance and do they say what they do with it? They have a free house in Tortola with all the amenities paid by tax payers and may still getting travelling allowance to travel back and forth to VG paid by tax payers, We Tax payers getting so much licks from politicians we vote for..
That wheatley fellow is a real character. Who does he expect will believe a story like that?
Travel allowance has nothing to do with travel between the islands. It is moving around the island you live on. When the Premier or any member living in Tortola travels to any of the Sister Islands the government pays.
Is it the speaker of the house who calls the shots in terms of who getting apartment and who not? Seems like he had a knack for thinking the public purse belonged to him. Well meh boyyy
The Privelege Select Committee is the committee that decides on accommodations for Sister Islands Legislators
DeCastro, Smith, and Fraser are members of the Privelege Select Co.mittee
that chickenahawk only was interested in taking advantage of people who working for an honest day’s work and double tax them and the employers ( his buddies ) who is not contributing their fair share of their ( TAXES ) are allowed to rip off his government / that should give you an idea of who we dealing with , when they got ( POWER ) that’s one of the ways how they flex off heself on the island people them ( that’s a very evil man ) to think it, is one , to do it , is another
Nothing is wrong with the apartment and it makes perfect sense. Especially got late meetings or early morning meetings. Our Sister Island reps should be especially accommodated! We do not understand what they go through! Tortola reps get to just drive home! They have to drive to Trellis or West to then catch a ferry , to then reverse and do the opposite the next morning. What happens if we get a rep who lives Anegada???? The apartment should be a villa and it is needed! Treat all reps fairly! Stop this crab in barrel mentality!
All I know is that fakecent is really not a nice person. He is as fake as fake will get. When he gets older and can not help himself his ways will be revealed. He is not a nice person but Shereen is also not the answer. Both of them have divided North Sound, Anegada and the Valley. I’m not voting for neither butch or the calypso queen. I’m staying hOme far from them.
Wheatley you do not have to speak the truth here even though its a good thing to do, but you, et al….you Will speak that truth when you face God. Be prepared one and all.
Who was the landlord?
Where are the Investigative Journalists?
So Shereen is on a team that says it has integrity while her son was allegedly living in a government paid apartment. Ok. Cool
Flax Charles has no right to commandeer the Police launch to get herself home! We shout about the Commissioners use of it and yet our politicians treat it as a taxi service – it’s an operational police asset and it’s not doing police work while running her back and forth!
The use of the Police or Customs Lainch can only be ordered by the Premier. Andrew is the only one who called the launch to take her and Honourable Vincent Wheatley back to VG on that illfated night when she fell.
DeCastro got a whole car!
Shereen accepted the offer. That is the point that he was trying to make. When she was questioned, she tried to dodge then admitted that the apartment was for both of them. It seems like she lied to cover her lack of discretion in allowing $2500 of taxpayers’ money to be wasted each month. She enjoyed the perks but didn’t want to go down alone. Vincent chose to go at her in an indirect way. I guess he was afraid of declaring war but it is what it is.
This fuss is about nothing. It is raising a storm in a tea cup. It makes perfect sense for government to provide an apartment for legislators from the sister islands. Furthermore, it would probably have been cheaper to pay for a hotel room when the need arises. There are more substantive issues to debate in the 9th district, not shallow petty issues. It is especially annoying to involve a third who was operating with reason and within his authority. Y’all go and do some wuk and stop the piddle.
Sister islands LEFT BEHIND. ALL MEMBERS FROM TORTOLA Can Come to Anegada, JVd and VG on the government dime but not the reps living on The Sister islands??? Is he really the 9th District rep?
Sister islands LEFT BEHIND. ALL MEMBERS FROM TORTOLA Can Come to Anegada, JVd and VG on the government dime but not the reps living on The Sister islands??? Is he really the 9th District rep?
THE GOVERNOR HAVE HIS GIRLFRIEND LIVING WITH HIM AND WE THE PEOPLE PAYING FOR EVERYTHING. What a ting
He didn’t take the apartment but allowed them to buy him a car?
@Flax-Charles
The apartment proposal was reasonable. But this guy claimed he responded in a strong manner, using words like “wasting taxpayers money”. Considering what the COI revealed about his actions and those of his fellow cabinet members, then his story is either hypocritical or it is a simple lie.
THE LATE RIEL GEORGE DIDNT ABUSE THOSE PRIVILEGES…HE HAD NO CAR NOR APARTMENT ON TORTOLA