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Wheatley denies ‘HOA apartment’ rumours, slams former Speaker

Wheatley

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.

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36 Comments

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  1. Vg girl says:

    Why is Vincent using the esteemed as a scape goat? They all knew what went down!

    Like 15
    Dislike 5
  2. Licher and Sticher Good says:

    Cousin Vinny have a stash apartment. Never know when you have to hit the mattresses. You never know, I’m just sayin

    Like 7
    Dislike 6
  3. Oh how quick the tides have changes says:

    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

    Like 11
    Dislike 4
  4. Nippy says:

    Vincent is an arrogant incomer, I prefer that a homeless man from VG represent us and not that Minister

    Like 16
    Dislike 10
  5. Can’t believe it says:

    Vincent you should be ashamed of yourself. Act like an adult not a child.

    Like 8
    Dislike 9
  6. Big Youth says:

    if Butch wants to get at Flax why is he using willock? it makes me sick to my stomach

    Like 7
    Dislike 9
  7. Citizen says:

    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.

    Like 27
    Dislike 2
  8. Keep Willock Name Out Mouth says:

    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.

    Like 14
    Dislike 13
  9. Rumin Yuh Tommi says:

    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.

    Like 14
    Dislike 4
  10. hmm says:

    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

    Like 34
    Dislike 2
  11. Interesting says:

    “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.

    Like 32
    Dislike 1
  12. Dig inc says:

    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.

    Like 9
    Dislike 1
  13. Them dishonest. says:

    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..

    Like 12
    Dislike 3
  14. Unicorns and Elves says:

    That wheatley fellow is a real character. Who does he expect will believe a story like that?

    Like 7
    Dislike 5
  15. Fact says:

    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.

  16. Former speaker promised? says:

    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

    Like 13
    Dislike 2
  17. Hmmm says:

    The Privelege Select Committee is the committee that decides on accommodations for Sister Islands Legislators

  18. Local all the way says:

    DeCastro, Smith, and Fraser are members of the Privelege Select Co.mittee

  19. @ UNICORN & ELVES says:

    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

    Like 6
    Dislike 2
  20. LB says:

    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!

    Like 9
    Dislike 3
  21. Rendesvous says:

    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.

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  22. No Guts No Glory says:

    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.

  23. The Big Story says:

    Who was the landlord?
    Where are the Investigative Journalists?

    Like 8
    Dislike 1
  24. So called integrity says:

    So Shereen is on a team that says it has integrity while her son was allegedly living in a government paid apartment. Ok. Cool

    Like 6
    Dislike 3
  25. Abuse of Position says:

    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!

    Like 7
    Dislike 2
  26. Balls says:

    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.

  27. They were helping themselves says:

    DeCastro got a whole car!

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  28. Flax-Charles says:

    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.

  29. Undercover Observer says:

    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.

  30. So unfair says:

    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?

  31. So unfair says:

    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?

  32. Governor says:

    THE GOVERNOR HAVE HIS GIRLFRIEND LIVING WITH HIM AND WE THE PEOPLE PAYING FOR EVERYTHING. What a ting

  33. Car says:

    He didn’t take the apartment but allowed them to buy him a car?

  34. Ripley says:

    @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.

  35. NORTH SOUND says:

    THE LATE RIEL GEORGE DIDNT ABUSE THOSE PRIVILEGES…HE HAD NO CAR NOR APARTMENT ON TORTOLA

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