First District Representative Honourable Andrew A. Fahie and Minister for Communications and Works Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool squared off in the House of Assembly yesterday July 22, 2014 over the divestment of shares during a speech by the former on the Final Report of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on the cruise pier development project. Photo: VINO/File

It was during Hon Fahie’s introduction to a motion to have the PAC report debated on the floor of the House of Assembly when Hon Vanterpool denied passing on his shares in the BVI Investment Club to a family member.

Hon Fahie spoke of doing a lot of research in preparation for the debate on the report when he made a number of discoveries regarding the owning of shares in the BVI Investment Club.

“Madam Speaker when I was doing my chart of this thing I saw that the declaration of interest for gazette notice volume 45, number 63 of 2611, extraordinary publication, October 10, 2011. Only two now sitting members of the Government clearly stated in the Gazette that they have shares in the BVI Investment Club,” said Hon Fahie.

“Madam Speaker with only two of them stating they have shares – the Minister for Communications and Works (Hon Mark H. Vanterpool) and the Minister for Natural Resources and Labour (Dr the Hon Kedrick D. Pickering) – since then the Minister of Natural Resources and Labour has come clearly and stated that he was advised what to do with his shares. But he wasn’t under questioning for anything that came up dealing with his ministry with his shares and then the Minister for Communications and Works, I’m just stating what he stated based on the Minutes of the House, that he passed on his shares I think to some family member,” said Hon Fahie.

However, at this point Hon Vanterpool stood up to dispute what Hon Fahie said regarding passing on shares to a family member.

“I would like the Hon member to read where I said I gave my shares to a family member. If that is in the record I would like to see if it is there. I may have suffered a little bit of amnesia but I cannot recall that. If the member is stating that and developing it then I would like him to [quote that],” he said.

Hon Fahie said that he would be getting to the Minister’s concern after he continued with his presentation. However, Hon Vanterpool rose to his feet yet again demanding that Hon Fahie address the statement he made immediately.

“Madam Speaker, this member just claimed that I said [something] and I think that this member [should] back it up right now before it become a public statement,” said Hon Vanterpool.

But following the Speaker’s admonition that he clarifies the statement, Hon Fahie said, “Madam Speaker, I sat here and heard the Honourable Member when he was speaking under the motion for the Interim Report of the Public Accounts Committee. So Madam Speaker I would get that information accurate…I would withdraw who he gave it to from the record until I [get the information].”

“This is the Hansard of when I spoke. I know I didn’t say that. It is not so,” said Minister Vanterpool.

However, Hon Fahie said he is forced to conclude that Hon Vanterpool still has his shares. “What I cannot remove is that the member would have still have his shares coming in as Minister, because that part Madam Speaker I have clear in the Gazette,” said Hon Fahie.

Hon Vanterpool said, “I did say that I had the shares and I invested them later. That I what I said, but not what the member was stating.”

Hon Fahie acknowledged what Hon Vanterpool said but noted that he has seen no documentation in the House of Assembly regarding the divestment of those shares.