Shame on Myron V. Walwyn! Threatens media & public with legal action
It was on Wednesday March 23, 2016 during the House of Assembly sitting on the Budget Debate that Mr Walwyn went on a childish and self-serving rant during his contribution to the Appropriation Act 2016 about the nomination made by Opposition Leader Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3) to the Public Service Commission (PSC).
The person nominated is former Permanent Secretary Julian Willock. The Opposition Leader was exercising his role under Sec 91 of the Virgin Islands Constitution.
Mr Walwyn hid behind the House of Assembly where he has immunity from being sued and blatantly misinformed the public about the matter involving Mr Willock’s termination from the service.
Walwyn lied to the people in claiming that the esteemed Mr Willock was fired for “misconduct” which he knows is not accurate.
Willock issue & the facts!
It was in 2010 when a local tabloid wrote an article claiming that Mr Willock, the then Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Works, had a person working for him without a work permit.
Even before Mr Willock was given a chance to provide evidence to the contrary, he was sent on paid leave from his post as Permanent Secretary. The Governor then set up a panel outside of the PSC to investigate the matter and they submitted a report without even interviewing Mr Willock, actions that many in the legal fraternity said had lost credibility from the start.
Mr Willock took the Government of the Virgin Islands to court over the matter and was successful. The judge ruled that: 1. All Mr Willock’s rights were violated as afforded under the Constitution. 2. The panel set up to investigate Mr Willock was illegal and the report must be disregarded (set aside) as it was invalid and could not be used. 3. Mr Willock must be given redress for his good name and that the PSC could still investigate the matter, as it is their role to do so.
The PSC then conducted their own investigation and concluded that they found no evidence that Mr Willock, who was regarded as one of the most effective senior managers in the civil service, had done anything wrong.
The PSC also recommended in a unanimous vote in 2012 that Mr Willock must be reinstated to his post as Permanent Secretary. In addition, the Labour Department wrote to the tabloid, the Governor, and the PSC detailing that Mr Willock had all his work permits intact and had not violated the labour laws.
Fired for political reason, not misconduct!
The Governor did not take the PSC’s recommendation and terminated Mr Willock for what many have concluded were political reasons, after the then National Democratic Party Government told the Governor in Cabinet they did not want to work with Mr Willock.
There were no findings of wrongdoing or misconduct against Mr Willock, as Mr Walwyn told the people in a deliberate attempt to slander the good name of Mr Willock.
In a statement dated March 24, 2016 from Advance Marketing and Professional Services, Mr Willock and his advisors sought to set the record straight after the attack and deliberate attempt at character assassination on Mr Willock’s good name.
Hide the truth or else legal action- Walwyn
However, Mr Walwyn has resorted to threatening the media and other citizens with legal action if they published the facts.
In an Email dated the same day, March 24, 2016, from Samuels Richardson & Co who said they were acting for Myron V. Walwyn, the Minister for Education and Culture told the media and other citizens who received the information that they were “warn that you could be held liable for publication of the defamatory remarks embodied in the Email”.
In his continued attempt to intimidate and threaten the people, Attorneys for Mr Walwyn went on to say “we hereby demand that you decline to publish or cease and desist from publishing (whether in writing, verbally or by any other means of Communication) the contents of the said Email,” referring to the response from Mr Willock.
Media & Willock’s reaction
Most media houses and ordinary citizens have dismissed the authoritarian and bully type actions of Mr Walwyn and published all or portions of the statement. Some residents have published the entire statement on their Facebook pages and circulated it via social media, including on many WhatsApp chats.
When contacted this morning March 28, 2016, Mr Willock, who has been the subject of Mr Walwyn’s biased and disgusting attacks, said he had just come off a radio show and had not seen the statement from Samuels Richardson & Co, “but it goes to show the character of Myron… he gets up in the House of Assembly where I cannot sue him and tell lies about me, but when a response is given he threatens others with legal action….I hope that the public is taking note of the type of self- serving politicians we are now dealing with.”
History & evil politicians
While Mr Willock said he was in a rush to get on a boat to Virgin Gorda to celebrate with the people for the Easter Monday parade, he noted: “We must also look at History and what happened to evil politicians like Idi Amin, Ivan The Terrible of Russia, Muammar Gaddafi, Adolph Hitler, Napoleon and Joseph Stalin, and most recently the likes of Saddam Hussein, and Bashar Al-Assad and check their history and see how they started out…very popular and doing things for the people and look what they did to their own people when they spoke out for their rights…I see a pattern emerging here,” said Mr Willock who was anxious to end the conversation and told our newsroom: “I am begging a ride on a friend’s power boat to Virgin Gorda, so I must go.”
66 Responses to “Shame on Myron V. Walwyn! Threatens media & public with legal action”
yous a soc pupit
Not called for.
Opened to anyone to complete- Can’t even post satire, politicians want to close us down. What’s wrong with them mehson. Freedom of Press to keep you politicians incheck. Sha!!!
Hellooo, its me…
I’m in Virgin Gorda dreaming of how it used to be
Hellooo, is it over
Reminiscing of the times when we were so younger, naive and free
Wondering what happened… To Our Paradise
Before the world came rushing in and fell right at our feet.
There's such a difference, from then and now.
What’s even more frightening is that some have no place to run.
Hellooo, are you hearing?
I can see they caught us sleeping and not ready for this time.
Hellooo, it’s me again…
I was wondering if after all these years you lie to me
I must recall a thousand times, whatever happened to Our Paradise...
Please listen…to what we have to say… before you realized it just may all be gone.
Is it all over…for us here… please stop holding so much secrets and open up and share.
Hellooo from the other side…At least I can say that I have tried
O’God to tell you… I'm sorry for breaking your heart,
with the choices I’ve made with all these leaders we’ve got.
Hellooo from the other side…
Taken from the version on this link- these are trying times in the Virgin Islands. Enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmnDEUD9NyI
Meanwhile back on the ranch..... Doc wake up and pass the budget yet?
ATlarge Show Down,i with WilCOX..All the sexual harassment in the government and no one doing nothing about it ,they harassing women and man..MVW and Gang doing worst than what Wilcox did because he did nothing..THe DG tired of complains ,so she is FED up and leaving her Boy Doctor Smith ,what a damn Shame..THe ESTeem all the way for2019.. My People HAVE NO FEAR Willocks Is HERE TO STAY.I am BERNIE SANDERS and i approve this message..
It’s clear he is a coward in fact a big coward
The bickering has to stop and surely a gentleman (a sitting minister) representing the BVI can do better than this. Stop sniping, bullying, dictating, grow up and let things take their natural course! Let's try to keep the Donald Trumpisms to a minimum.
The references to some well known (cough) "world leaders" (cough) in this article are also waaaay over the top. Both sides need to chill.