The 'Boys on the Block' have set the record straight that the mock coffins that they have displayed in the past following elections were gimmicks of their own and were not influenced by any political parties. Photo: VINO/file

Member for the First District Honourable Andrew A. Fahie cautioned Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith about false allegations in the House of Assembly that suggested the Virgin Islands Party had anything to do with the mock coffins that the 'Boys on the block' had following the 2003 and 2007 general elections. Photo: VINO

Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith spoke about a mock coffin that was allegedly made for a prominent businessman following an election as he referred to the extent that the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) was allegedly opposed to inward investment. This allegation did not go down well with members of the VIP. Photo: VINO/file

In one case, reference was made by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith about a mock coffin allegedly made for a prominent businessman.

However, the ‘Boys on the block’ who stand around what is also known as the Fonseca Corner in Road Town, speaking exclusively to Virgin Islands News Online on condition of anonymity, said that no party has the right to throw blame as the mock caskets placed in the streets of Road Town after the 2003, 2007 and 2011 elections were only gimmicks that were put on without influence from political parties.

The issue was raised at the Tenth Sitting of the Second Session of the Second House of Assembly of the Virgin Islands on Friday July 26, 2013 by Premier Smith as he was debating the No-Confidence Motion.

Hon. Smith went back into the past to reopen old wounds. “We came into office and the economy was as it was …….0.7% lower than the year it was before and of course we know, Madam Speaker, that we had to do what we had to do so we tried to get the economy going,” stated Premier Smith.

“Everybody acknowledged the fact that there was a recession on but the other reason, Madam Speaker, was because of the approach by the former government, Madam Speaker, approach which they took during the previous elections. Basically, one thing about an anti-development stance, Madam Speaker, they weren’t interested in having any inward investment at that time Madam Speaker.”

The premier said further, “During that last election they were so adamant about this, up in arms about this, example was even made of one of the prominent investor in this country Madam Speaker. He was pin-pointed and made an example of. These investors, these …. People, we don’t want them in this country. So they were saying. ...There was a coffin … it was a terrible thing Madam Speaker.”

The allegation did not go down well with  Member for the First District Honourable Andrew A. Fahie as he rose on a point of correction and said, “There is no way, no way Madam Speaker would I be with any government who would display that kind of behaviour and reflect anything that I am about. Those were behaviours displayed by people in the community that we have no control over so I think that the Premier is trying to tie us into something that we had absolutely no hand in. We heard about it just like he heard about it. So Madam Speaker and the other point is it is an unfair statement to say that the last administration was anti-development. We believe strongly in it but not on the backs of our people so we didn’t agree with certain development,” Hon Fahie said to set the record clear.

Premier Smith insisted that he did not say that the coffin was built and placed by the previous administration but said, “I had it from the horses’ mouth that the man was targeted.

Hon. Fahie contended that if the Premier had it from the horse’s mouth it’s a serious matter for concern. “That’s a serious thing, Madam Speaker, and it’s alluding to the fact to say that the past administration was part of that. That is something I do not do, it’s something that I don’t get involved in. I cannot sit here, Madam Speaker, and let that statement go idly by. It cannot be true; he couldn’t get it from the horse he had to get it from the jokey because the horse wouldn’t talk that because it wasn’t true.

Premier Smith again insisted that he did not say that the past administration had anything to do with the whole coffin issue. “I did not say and had no intention of saying. I did not even suggest it that the party had anything to do with the coffin …. Please forgive me if it sounds as if I said that.”

That was our thing- 'boys on the block'

The “Boys on the Block” said they learnt that they were allegations being thrown at a particular party as it related to them building the coffin following past elections. Opting not to be named for obvious reasons, one of the instigators emphatically stated, “We want people to get this straight, no VIP nor no NDP ever hired us or asked us to do this. This is a show that we did on our own, no one ever hired or paid us to do that and we want to make that absolutely clear,” said one of the group members. Like sentiments were expressed by another member with whom this news site spoke to.

“We don’t come to bury anyone or anything. It’s a show we put on so the VIP or the NDP or anybody never hired us to build a casket,” one member said.

The members of the group who were responsible for the building of the coffin said it was a post elections show that they had come up with and because it had a massive response as an entertainment piece by members of the public they continued it and intend to continue it in the future.

They also said the mock coffins had nothing to do with the businessman that was allegedly targeted, “Actually, whenever we do a coffin we never put anybody inside of the coffin. That year a friend of ours who was a drug addict, laid down in it,” one person said.

It was further explained by the “The Boys on the Block” that the concept was that whichever government lost it would have been represented by the coffin indicating that they were no longer in power. They also said reports that they targeted a businessman were totally a wrong representation of what they were doing. They said that when they heard of the allegations they felt compelled to go and have their side cleared as they had even heard of a threat to have them killed.

“The one time a man lay down in the coffin he died the next day and that was a big thing because it caused a lot of talking. We are not about that, it was just a show and the people were well into it, they loved it,” one of the men said.