Governor reportedly unlawfully pressured AG to audit COVID spending
What this means, is that her office may have been subjected to outside pressures, which would go directly against Chapter 8, Section 109 (4) of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007, which states that in the exercise of his or her functions under the section, “the Auditor General shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.”
Constitution guides preparation of audits
The section spoke specifically to the accounts of the House of Assembly and all Government departments and offices, including the Public Service Commission, the Teaching Service Commission, the Police Service Commission and such other body as may be designated by law being audited on an annual basis by the AG.
The Auditor General must then submit his or her reports made under subsection (2) to the Minister who shall, within three months of the receipt of the reports must cause them to be laid before the House of Assembly.
However, during the Commission of Inquiry on October 20, 2021, it was revealed that the AG’s office may have been subjected to external pressure to prepare audits, specifically pressure from the Governor, in direct violation of the VI constitution.
The CoI then used the reports, as incomplete and unpublished as they were, to base their evidence for the Inquiry.
AG felt obligated to Governor
When subject to questioning from Sir Charles Geoffrey Cox QC based on her first appearance to the commission, the AG revealed that she may have felt an obligation to Audit on the request of the Governor. According to the constitution, this should not have been the case.
While Ms Webster has maintained that she independently followed through with the audit of COVID-19 spending, when Cox asked Ms Webster what she meant when she said ‘when it was brought to me’ regarding the idea to carry out the audit, the AG failed to give a clear answer.
“Well, it’s impossible for me to answer that without reading the full context of it,” Webster replied after a moment of silence.
Cox, in analysing the conflicting answers, then questioned the AG whether the instructions to carry out the audit were given to her, or whether she had carried it out independently as claimed.
Who directed AG to prepare the Audit?
“I am simply asking Madam Auditor General, what was meant thereby brought to me, somebody seems to have been bringing you the proposition that you should do the Audit, was that the Governor?” he asked.
The Auditor General again refused to answer the questions but revealed that the audit was already in the works, however, the priority changed when the Governor pushed to have it done.
“If he had concerns about it, then it was definitely something that needed to be followed up on,” she said.
After the United Kingdom refused to assist the Virgin Islands with grants to assist persons affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the VI government found monies on its own to help its people; however, the UK still wanted to know exactly how the grants were allocated.
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24 Responses to “Governor reportedly unlawfully pressured AG to audit COVID spending”
The partnership agreement looks good on paper; balance execution is another matter. It is an open secret that the equation is iunbalanced, which signifies there is a serious problem. Both sides of an equation are balanced. But not so with the BVI and UK partnership. The power tilts towards the crown. As another blogger noted, the Governor is in a win-win situation; BVI, lose-lose. The whole thing is an apparent cabal, ie, FCO, Governor, COP etc. The whole COI may be foul; it seems it may have been driven by a vendetta, a parting gift to the people of the BVI. Now, it is being force fed to prove the getting even vendetta. Nevertheless, I’m not saying locals have clean hands in all dealings. There are things that did not go according to plan. Things do not always go according to plan in the UK and elsewhere. These issues in them BVI needs to be fixed with more effective internal and management control. Additionally, as E. Leonard noted in another blog, ‘if the UK say jump and OT local government say how high, as is well.’
On the other hand, if the local government refused to just drink the cool aid and have the bold audacity to ask questions, this creates a problems. OT governments, especially those of African descent , are expected to be subservient. This expectation goes back to slavery colonialism etc which created a system of White supremacy. Whites, particularly White men, resist and treat with disdain being challenged by people of African descendants who they were conditioned to believe were from a defective specie with low mental capacity and are not worthy to be of equal status to them. No one should be surprise , for this attitude and behaviour has been going on for centuries. Not all whites share this attitude and behaviour but too many still do.
They have no authority to instruct the AG. That is illegal and a violation & shows that the Governor had an agenda against the government. Which he did. Which is why this whole thing is a debacle.
What Gus should have done was leave all his opinions for the new governor and let him decide based on his own opinions if this COI was necessary and if he believes the gossip that Gus believes. This is a battle of egos and Gus couldn't stand that Andrew & a youth called Sowande dare challenge him and refuse their loan guarantee entrapment.
Gus Jaspert's neo colonial mind can't handle their refusal to blindly obey him. And is doing what all slave masters did to the troublesome slaves, public beatings and abuse for the other slaves to see this is what happens when you challenge the authority of colonial white power. However we hung a slave owner here before & our nature is not to be passive, that is a learned weakness from those who want to have indian tea with them. We are equals in this partnership, colonizer has no more human rights than the former slaves. This is the modern world we are not 3/5 human and them fully human. We are equals and that is the level of respect we demand then all can be held accountable.
God Bless Ms Webster.