UPDATE: No charges against so-called MoF leaker
Now, according to officials, the probe into the so-called leaked information has ended with no charges laid against the civil servant.
It is unclear what specific information she was been investigated for or accused of leaking. It is also unknown if others are also being investigated, as there are no whistle-blowing laws in the Virgin Islands to protect public officers when they see corruption and wish to go public with such information.
Why they leak?
Over the past six years, because of the lack of transparency of the ruling National Democratic Party regime, their crack down and criticism of the media, their refusal to answer the Opposition questions in the House of Assembly and when they do, it's most often not truthful, many public officers have been leaking information to the media, the Opposition and civil society.
The Information is usually on policies that hurt the country, issues of alleged corruption and when the elected officials tell lies to the people, public officers and even other politicians leak the correct information.
For some seven years now both the media, the Opposition, the Governor and talk show hosts have been calling for a Freedom of Information Bill, however, the government has refused to bring forward such a bill after years of promises.
See previous article published April 9, 2017
Civil servant questioned over leaked Gov’t information
Word reaching our newsroom is that a civil servant was questioned by police over alleged leaked information to the media.
This is according to senior National Democratic Party (NDP) sources. The sources confirmed that one person from the Ministry of Finance was questioned on leaked information; however, the source did not provide details as to what information caused this action.
The female officer was questioned on Saturday April 8, 2017 and released, according to information reaching our newsroom. The two NDP sources declined to give details as to who ordered the investigation.
Communist country- VI
There are no Whistle-blowing laws in the Virgin Islands to protect public or private officers who, because of love for country and good governance, share information on activities that are illegal, unethical or corrupt within the public or private sectors. In addition, there is no Freedom of Information Act in the British Overseas Territory of the Virgin Islands (VI) where the media or ordinary residents can request via law information of public interest and records of spending, agency books and other government actions not made public.
The lack of these two key pieces of legislation is associated with communist and authoritarian countries and not “a modern democracy” as Governor John S. Duncan OBE once described the VI.
Over the past eight (8) years plus, especially with the advent of online news media, the public and media houses have relied on information obtained by anonymous sources from public officers, elected officials, including Ministers of Government, and private citizens for information that government will not make public.
Fake news on Social Media
Within the last 48 hours social network has been flooded with fake and erroneous information that the Ministry of Finance officer was questioned over “the Ports Authority Project and other drug related suspicion.” Our NDP sources confirmed that this information circulating is, “libellous, malicious, erroneous and downright misinformation.”
Our newsroom will bring more information as it becomes available.
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72 Responses to “UPDATE: No charges against so-called MoF leaker”
We will not remain silent and continue to allow this decadent veil of quiet exploitation, victimization, intimidation, underhand secret deals in high places with special interests, crippling levels of conflict of interests, and corruption to continue without accountability.
If our government was poisoning our water to reduce our local population and a civil servant in his/her/their good conscience and morals were privy to this atrocity, should he/she/they remain silent under an oath of abnormal confidentiality and unbalanced loyalty? I unequivocally argue a resounding- NO! DA#N IT!!!
THE TIME HAS COME TO OPEN THE CASKET!
The Time has come for ALL of US, who still have a ticking compass of morals and conscience, to STAND-UP!
WE MUST STAND UP FOR OUR RIGHTS! NOW!!!
Wize-up, I have no issue with the Governor and the commissioner but I sure have issues with your foolishness comments. Like to be blogging on every thing and just chatting a bunch of hogwash
On personal level, this is sh*t hope she gets a lawyer
But that is what we have reaped. So shall we sow.
As we sit back and allow time to pass by story have a way of unfolding it self. Don't care how long we try to hide truth must come out.