CoI team returns to VI next week; May hold preliminary hearings
This is according to CoI Secretary Steven Chandler in a press statement today, March 22, 2021.
“The Commissioner will publish rules to regulate the conduct and management of the COI’s hearings shortly,” Mr Chandler stated.
The COI, according to Mr Chandler, is currently engaged in the second stage of the Inquiry, namely obtaining further information and documentation in response to the information already provided by members of the public.
Info requested from elected & statutory officials
The COI has to date sent over 100 letters of request for information/documents to public officials, including elected and statutory officials.
“Members of the COI team intend to return to the British Virgin Islands next week to continue with the information gathering stage of the COI. The Commissioner will be accompanied by Mr Steven Chandler (Secretary to the COI) and Mr Andrew King (Senior Solicitor to the COI). All three will of course observe the current 14 days quarantine requirement on arrival,” Mr Chandler wrote.
The CoI team had departed the VI for the UK on February 4, 2021.
CoI concerns
The Commission of Inquiry was announced on January 18, 2021 to look into whether corruption, abuse of office or other serious dishonesty may have taken place amongst public, elected and statutory officials in recent years.
Interestingly, it was announced by controversial ex-Governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert, who it is alleged was antagonistic towards the elected Government of Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1), who has been putting qualified Virgin Islanders in top posts usually held by expatriates and has been championing talks of self-determination.
Mr Jaspert had kept the VI Government in the dark about his scheme and then colluded with the UK press to give the CoI international coverage, which hurt the reputation of the territory.
Many Virgin Islanders have stated while they are aware that corruption may exist in the VI just as in any other country, including the UK, the move to issue a CoI is highly “questionable” especially since it is no secret the Governor has been at loggerheads with the elected Government.
The controversial former Governor was already heavily critcised late last year for what many deemed as insensitive remarks on reparations for slavery and for stating that the VI should preserve the names of landmarks named after perpetrators of chattel slavery, brutality and crimes against humanity.
His perceived insensitivity to descendants of slaves further came into question with him choosing Martin Luther King Jr Day to announce he had issued a Commission of Inquiry into Governance, throwing the VI into a highly negative light on the international scene.
Virgin Islanders associate with Martin Luther King Jr Day, being mostly descendants of slaves and due to their close ties with the United States of America.
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27 Responses to “CoI team returns to VI next week; May hold preliminary hearings”
Or are you finally agreeing we are actually Americans in disguise, after all we all carry both passports.
True. Lol
COI ) some of them singing like a canary
Stop trying be a f%^&& twat bit...h..we dont got to know each other we know were we came from ...and were we surpose to be .....and trust it we know who our enemy are nothing change so keep pretending.....
I bet he knew who he were tho ....and u dont got the rigth to speak like that about a man like him ..u piece of sh** house slave...
Think that make us the same..
We work ur #$%^& plantation now for to long that all that mean ..passport bulls***..forget it only couple years now since we were entitled to have it even though we were both under the same flag ..well I should say under ur colonial rules ...hmm u all forget but I dont ....wen we as British citizens needed visa waver to go to mother country..
U all can never love us and deal fear with us because u all are afraid of our potential as the dominant race it is wat got u all offended..but we survive the worst and we will conquer the challenge......for history know we once rule the whole existence of things for it was we who created it .
And also educated and civilized u all as a human on two not four ....
History is History it’s in the past and those of you who keep bringing it up you will always be a racist.
For your information, England was one on the first Countries who stopped the shipment of slaves out of Africa, but the slave trade never stop because the American slave owners started breading their own slaves and selling to other slave owners.
There are some people who just can’t let go of the pass, if you can’t let go of the pass you will never get ahead In life I feel sorry for those of you who are in that position. This is not Witten by a white man, let it rest you will feel much better. This has nothing to do with racism it has to do with the people who have been taking the people of the BVI for fools and using the taxpayer’s money like it belongs to them without answering to anyone.
Also Martin Luther King Jr IS an inspiration to all people of color as a great leader of non violent reformation on the level of Ghandi
Furthermore it is extremely disrespectful for the commission of inquiry to be announced on Martin Luther King Jr day! By the same white governor accused of being insensitive and racist.
You can’t make that sh** up.