Hon Walwyn slammed for being 'unwise & irresponsible'
Social commentator and Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline, during his "Honestly Speaking" radio programme on June 17, 2025, called out the Opposition Leader, saying, "There was a shortfall in your presentation, Leader of the Opposition. You called for the Governor to investigate this matter, which was unwise and irresponsible. You should have allowed our systems, our processes, and our internal auditors to carry out their duties first." He added, "You don’t invite outside instruments without allowing your systems to operate."
On May 29, 2025, the Virgin Islands Deposit Insurance Corporation (VIDIC), with the intervention of the BVI Financial Services Commission (FSC), took the necessary steps to shut down the operations of the Bank of Asia (BVI) Limited. This decision raised significant concerns throughout the Virgin Islands.
Additionally, the government of the Virgin Islands had deposited approximately five million dollars into the bank, and there were concerns about whether the government would be able to recover the funds.
'We are a country of laws'
Skelton-Cline urged the citizens and politicians of the Virgin Islands to stop living in a sea of rumours and refrain from adding their opinions to the speculation.
He emphasised the importance of allowing our systems and processes to work in order to distinguish between fact and fiction.
He further stated, "We are a country of laws; this is not the Wild Wild West. Certain actions in private industry affect the government, and vice versa. But we are a country of laws, systems, and structures; we must allow them to operate."
'Come to Jesus meeting'
Skelton-Cline also called on the Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), to hold a "come to Jesus meeting" with all individuals involved in the Bank of Asia matter.
He explained that a "come to Jesus meeting" is a gathering where one seeks the facts, truth, chronology, and details, such as who said what, what directions were given, who felt pressured, and the rationale behind actions taken.
The clergyman further urged the Premier to take a firm stance, stating, "As the chief producer of this country, as Minister of Finance, and as Premier, I want you to understand that as long as I am in this position and you are in yours, if I find that you have communicated anything to me that does not meet the required standards, I will ensure that you will not remain in your position.
"You will need to come forward to the people of the Virgin Islands with the facts, explaining what has happened and outlining the actions I am taking as a result. No one can hide behind legal jargon in situations like this; the people’s business is the people’s business," Skelton-Cline stated.
See related article below:
Hypocritical Walwyn wants Governor to investigate Gov’t's $5M deposit in Bank of Asia
.png)
Follow Us On
11 Responses to “Hon Walwyn slammed for being 'unwise & irresponsible' ”
Relying upon existing processes and procedures will yield years of inaction (reference to the BVI Airways debacle), and like the vaunted Beef Island Airport "business case," be witheld from the public view for as long as possible and ultimately yield nothing but finger-pointing. An inquiry by Governor Pruce is the only way we ever find out what happened here.
We need to know how this money got into Asia Bank.