Media barred from streaming or recording CoI briefing @ Governor’s Office today
![Local media personnel in the [British] Virgin Islands have been perplexed as to why they have been invited to a media briefing on the background to the Commission of Inquiry CoI) by the Governor’s Office but are not allowed to stream or record the event. Photo: Office of the Governor/File](https://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/cache/images/800x_2_289959503_395715749249194_1789812925298693091_n_01.jpg)
The ‘Private Meeting’ is slated for 11:00 AM at the Governor’s Office Conference Room and will be led by Director for Strategy in the Governor’s Office, Charlotte Biswas.
No new info to be presented!
According to the invitation sent out to media houses by Mr Eusa Z. Adams, Assistant Information Officer in the Office of the Deputy Governor, journalists will be provided with an overview of the recent number of CoI related publications, including the Quarterly Reviews, reviews completed as part of the CoI recommendations and various audits.
Journalists were also told there would be “no new information” presented at the session, however it will be an opportunity to hear summaries of reports and ask questions about the findings from reviews and audits and how they are being taken forward.
No streaming or recording allowed!
“Discussion should not be streamed or recorded,” the invitation stated.
Some journalists questioned the need to prevent streaming and recording, while others wanted to know why even have the session when no new information would be presented and Governor John J. Rankin, CMG is not listed as attending.
“This is a routine background briefing, offered to media outlets if they think it would be useful. There have been a number of publications as a result of the CoI, and this will be an opportunity to ask questions and better understand the content of those reports (Quarterly Reviews, Reviews and Audits). Background briefings, sometimes called ‘backgrounders’, are off-the-record briefings for members of the news media. Reporters are free to report on what they learn, but are normally restricted as to how they cite their sources,” the Governor’s Office replied, according to Mr Adams.
Our newsroom was told that some journalists are contemplating boycotting the event.
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40 Responses to “Media barred from streaming or recording CoI briefing @ Governor’s Office today”
1) Was the position for the Commissioner of the COI advertised and tendered? If not, why not? If yes, please inform where it was tendered so it can be researched and the ad analyzed and made public? ALSO, How much was he paid?
2) How much did the UK pay to have the COI done inclusive of salary to the Commissioner, office hours of the UK staff and other officers that were assigned or used by the UK to assist with the COI, travel and other accommodation cost and all other direct and indirect costs?
3) Who paid for all the above costs and was it done in accordance with the BVI Commission of Inquiry Act?
4) Did the Commissioner lie to authorities when he landed at the airport about the purpose of his trip as to do so is a criminal offense?
5) Was the process to select the Commissioner a transparent one? If so, explain? If not, why not?
6) Was the COI independent seeing the Governor apparently hand picked the Commissioner and staff, the Governor wrote the terms of reference, the Governor steered the Commissioner what to look into, the Governor apparently paid the Commissioner, the staff that worked with the Commissioner was persons from the same UK office as the Governor, among other concerns of the apparent lack of transparency and good governance?
7) How could a UK judge solely write recommendations to run a country when he has no experience in doing so and then the Governor & UK accept them wholesale and force them all to be implemented by using an order of council to suspend the constitution if they are not done? Is it the UK influenced the recommendations?
8) State clearly what will it take to remove the Order of council to suspend the constitution and be precise as it seems to be a permanent fixture to act as a control mechanism?
9) Do the Governor or UK see an order of council to suspend any country's constitution in the 21st century unless the country do as they say and how they say and when they say, as a modern form of slavery and a slavery whip and therefore should be abolished immediately?
10) Why has recommendations not being made in the report or requested of the Governor to ammend the Commission of Inquiry Act seeing it was done in 1880 only 46yrs after slavery was abolished in the BVI and therefore was still geared towards preserving slavery mentality?
11) What is in place for the BVI to hold the Governor and UK accountable as good governance requires all sides to be accountable with measures in place to ensure such?
12) Why has the Governor and his UK staff working locally refused to adhere or be put to respect and adhere to the new register of interest act while working in BVI?
13) Do the Governor see the time frames for implementation of all 48 recommendations to be attainable, rational and reasonable? If so explain?
14) Did the lawyers who assisted the COI practice law in the BVI legally? What will be done to find this out once and for all and if they did, what will be the penalty?
15) Clearly some of the recommendations are not conducive to the culture of the BVI and its people so what recourse do the people have against these acts of apparent dictatorship?
Ask these and other critical questions. Stop being afraid of these people and only attack the elected officials, public officers and other residents of the BVI. Let them bring proof of their answers in writing. Accountability MUST BE FOR ALL!