Jamal S. Smith was ‘a very talented & valuable member of our community’- Premier
Mr Smith was discovered dead at his Manuel Hill home with apparent gunshot wounds on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.
‘Highly respected’
In a statement on March 13, 2024, Hon Wheatley said Mr Smith and the law firm that he founded, Thornton Smith, are highly respected in the fields of corporate law and intellectual property rights.
“Mr Smith’s firm was a recognised symbol in the Sea Cows Bay Community, and he will be greatly missed. He served the Virgin Islands in a number of public posts, such as Chairman of the Social Security and Labour Department Tribunals, as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Bank of Virgin Islands and a member of the Board of Governors of the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC).”
‘Commentator on social & political issues’
Premier Wheatley continued that Mr Smith’s service also included Chairman of the Board of Directors of the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association. He added that the now deceased was also a member of the Intellectual and Industrial Property Focus Group, contributing to the reform of the Territory’s intellectual property laws and recently served as a reviewer for governance reform in which he provided recommendations regarding statutory boards.
Dr Wheatley also said Mr Smith was well known as a commentator on social and political issues in the Territory. “His voice and his views will certainly be missed in the conversations currently taking place on the revision of our Constitution and reform of government systems, processes and laws. He was a man of the community and also attended the Ebenezer Thomas Primary School, BVI High School and University of the West Indies.”
Condolences
On behalf of the Government and people of the Virgin Islands, Premier Wheatley said he wished to join with the entire community in extending condolences to the family and loved ones of the late Mr Jamal S. Smith, Esq on his untimely passing, especially his father Roy Smith, siblings Jarel, Sarai, Rokeem, Romoy and Kayasha Smith.
Premier Wheatley also said he did not wish to speculate on the specific circumstances surrounding Mr Smith’s passing, but wanted to take the opportunity, as Premier, to once again condemn violence and crime in all forms. “The Virgin Islands is a beautiful and peaceful place. Let us all do our part to restore it to its original splendour.”
Assist the police- Premier
Dr Wheatley, who is also a member of the National Security Council, supported the call from the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) for anyone who may have seen or heard anything relevant to this and any other crime in the Territory to come forward and assist the authorities.
“There are channels such as Crime Stoppers where information can be supplied anonymously and where the identity of the informant will remain secret and protected. As Premier of the Virgin Islands, I also wish to reiterate my Government’s full support to the law enforcement agencies in the exercise of their functions,” Dr Wheatley stated.
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20 Responses to “Jamal S. Smith was ‘a very talented & valuable member of our community’- Premier”
We have unsolved murders from the 80s- the scientific police came in from United Kingdom and to this day not a dam ting
when will there be the commission of enquiries into unsolved crimes in this Territory by United Kingdom
Until then… premier keep your mouth shut.
You say you condemn crime yet you are not careful about who you associate with. Hence, you’re part of the problem.
COLONIZERS. WE KEEP OUR OWN SELVES DOWN WITH OUR BACKWARD MENTALITY AND SELFISH WAYS. Kendoy, Jamal, Kemo........❤. HOW MUCH LONGER WILL WE THE COWARDS KEEP HIDING. Cindy, Kishma, Heritage, .......been telling us now for years. WE call them crazy, point and laugh. We criticize their personal lives instead of analyzing our own. BVIslanders we ARE A DISGRACE! There is pride or honor amongst us. We have become greedy and warped in the way we conduct our business. There is a cancer that is deeply rooted in our society and it must be ripped from the root, even if it hurts, even if it is our loved ones. WE STINK! GOD IS NOT PLEASED. WE NEED TO REPENT. THEIR IS NO THEM VERSUS US, IT IS US AGAINST US. We have to teach people how to treat us, and everyday we play games with our health, laws, education, homeland security, etc it gives the demons a portal straight into our hearts. Prayer and no action makes a mockery of GOD. And the last person that mocked GOD now sits in jail.
YOU KNOW YOU ARE NOT SERIOUS ABOUT THAT STATEMENT .STOP THE TABLE TALK AND PACIFYING INTELLIGENT PEOPLE WHO KNOW DIFFERENT.
know, since I was the victim of crime while I lived in the BVI (2014-2018) is why the Governor, the Premier, the
RVIPF and others who are in England, refuse to answer hundreds of messages about my situation that happenned
and my case. A couple successful phone calls where someone in the Premiers office and Governors office did
answer the phone and said I would be called back, and wasn't. my property still at former landlords on west end
who deny its still there. Injuries from your police. Arrest back in 2018 more like to blackmail me for money.
So how 'honest' is the BVI authorities, and some have changed, new Governor and Premier since 2018, and yet
if its unpleasant news about the BVIs and UKs corruption and coverups it is swept under the rug at the expense
of the victim - me. I moved to the BVI because I liked the place. Not to become a scapegoat for other peoples
problems. My bank accounts were hacked too. I'm an American, so I must be 'laundering money', right? and what is so hard about BVI and UK governmental entities answering contacts about the case? Are ALL OF THEM
guilty as hell? My property by the way is where I rented at a 'stout' location. I spent alot on the BVI because
I wanted to keep living there. Not to get out for the sake of my safety and my life. You folks must have some
really dirty people around the world to silence the victims like this. To keep the tourism money.
Well, the US and UK governments are evil filth too. I'm an American, I would know. Thanks for ruining my life,
and hope yours is forfeited. BF from Alaska