Premier Smith not aware of any sexual harassment claims against Minister
For the first time in many months Premier and Minister of Finance and Leader of Government Business, Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith has broken his silence on this matter. In a brief but exclusive interview with this news site when asked, if he was aware of any allegations of sexual harassment claims against any of his Ministers of Government, Premier Smith said “I have not been told by any civil servant that a Minister of Government has assaulted them. Nobody has told me that.”
Background
While the information has many versions and it boils down to a he say-she say, it’s alleged by three sources close to the situation that a Minister of Government was accused of having a female staff in his office and asked the officer to perform a sexual act on her body parts. It’s believed that the Minister allegedly asked the female officer “to suck her breast”.
However, to date no Minister of Government of the National Democratic Party Administration has been identified as engaging in such unprofessional and illegal behaviour.
Virgin Islands News Online attempted to get a comment from Deputy Governor V. Inez Archibald now Acting Governor, however, when her secretary was told by this news site what was the nature of the inquiry said “she was not available”.
It’s unclear if such a situation had occurred whether it would have reached to the desk of the Deputy Governor.
A call to Acting Police Commissioner David Morris about possible reports on such activity told this news site that such a matter had not reached to his desk, in other words no formal report was made of the allegations. Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Roy Stoutt collaborated the information of the Acting Police Commissioner that no such report was made and said he is not aware of such claims. He referred us to the Acting Police Commissioner.
A call was made to the United Kingdom appointed Governor William B. McCleary to ascertain if any such claims were brought to his attention, however, we were told he is on vacation.
Opposition VIP-no comments!
Third District representative and former Minister for Communications and Works Honourable Julian Fraser RA, when asked if he had heard about this situation said he had no comments. Honourable Andrew A. Fahie did not return phone calls or text on the subject, however, in a meeting in his district in January 2013 at Capoon's Bay on the main island of Tortola he spoke about “reported cases of abuse at the workplace”.
Everyone tight lipped-maybe it never happened?
Calls to the Human Resources Department were not returned. However, a senior civil servant who spoke on condition of anonymity said having been in the service for 26 years, “it’s unlikely if such an allegation was made that very senior officers would not have been told, including a Permanent Secretary or someone higher in rank”.
“…but I will not speculate, if no one is aware of this, then it suggests that everyone is just comfortable in sweeping it under the rug after all it is “his words against hers and there is no official police report, no witness so it’s a closed case”.
According to the Labour code and the Laws of the Virgin Islands an investigation of sexual harassment (indecent assault) on the job is illegal and can be prosecuted under the criminal code.
Very recently, in the overseas Territory of Anguilla, a Minister of Government was forced to step down when he was accused of sexual harassment and was arrested by the Royal Anguilla Police Force.
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156 Responses to “Premier Smith not aware of any sexual harassment claims against Minister”
he should have listen to Callwood about masturbation he would have been good to go
That little country sl... has been sleeping her way through the ranks of elected officials and opposition members without prejudice...and that wasnt the first time with that particular one...i guess she needed some bigger kick backs n heard she's getting more schooling oppurtunities out of the deal...i wonder what went wrong this time...shouldve been business as usual...
This NDP shell game and cover up need to be put to an abrupt end.
serious time.
It was not after working hours, It was in the morning in the middle of the working day. You are full of $h!#
Persons who want to go school are on a waiting list for years but to try to shut up this young lady after they made her fearful they awarded her study leave forthwith & pay her out to stay quite. This is not good. The matter I heard was reported to the D...G but ALL she did was scare the girl so the D.....G can protect its NDP Party in Power. Time will tell. D....G you going to hell.
Why not? She already on the government tit.
Who are the gladiators? Cause you know Oliv... don't work alone!
This is STANDARD NDP fare
Or allyuh wasn't payin or leaking last time???
But ayo can't see? We have the NDP lawyer who now gone with the NDP pastor leaving her husband and now the TT Minister who now dying for Hunger for a bit of MILK from the TT. ALL A WE IS ONE FAMILY!
The woman report the incident to the PS, she report it to the DG, and they are not only Official who know bout it. People here to corrup. Them send her to wok in Finance in a bulding up town. Now a hear them sending her to college. She got to be fool fool to think she could hide.
Da Premier must be shame of he self bout he aint know. If You thimk da DG will now this and dont tell Olando, I is 60 years and pregnant, and I didnt have sex.
@ HardDrugs. Are you #$%^ kidding me? You are kidding, right?? Please tell me that you realize that this is the year 2013 and that you are kidding!
You know these Ministers, these elected officials with the name "Honourable" they are grown men, aren't they? Not idle-a$$ kids with nothing better to do than climb the fence into someone's mango trees. Since when do we blame the victims in cases of sexual harassment or assault?
The mere fact that he was this lady's superior on the job means that she is strictly off-limits for flirting, jokes of a sexual nature, touching, sucking or anything else. Why? Because of the power imbalance, that's why! The same reason teachers can't meddle with students of any age, doctors can't meddle with patients of any age, bosses can't meddle with employees of any age (unless they are pimps).
Seriously. Get off the drugs.
The understatement of the year?
Ayo forget that ....is TT man brother in law!