There have been apparent attempts by BVI Platinum News and the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) to put Virgin Islands News Online in a negative light in the public. Photo: VINO

Commissioner of Police (CoP) Mark Collins had promised to issue a retraction statement but has not yet done so. Photo: GIS/File

BVI Platinum News, in its apparent quest to throw VINO and Hon Julian Willock in a negative light ran an erroneous story on the hacking of VINO. Photo: Twitter

The tabloid quoted the police press officer Diane L. Drayton reporting that “no complaint was made by VINO”.
What was even more disturbing with BVI Platinum News’ practice of yellow journalism was having the image of the Speaker of the House of Assembly Honourable Julian Willock, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Advance Marketing and Professional Services- the parent company of VINO, as the lead image. Many have been asking what is the connection between the Speaker and the hack; however, many believe it was a deliberate attempt to slander the Speaker.

The fact of the matter is that VINO’s Editor in Chief (EIC) Mr Reuben J. A. Stoby, the person responsible for the day-to-day operations of the online news site, made a formal complaint via electronic means on February 1, 2022. The hacking appeared to have occurred on the night of January 31, 2022.

The report was emailed to rvipolice@gov.vg, which is listed by Government as a legitimate address to make reports to the RVIPF. The Email was also copied to a Mr Stanley Burton in the criminal investigative unit. Mr Burton’s email address was used in the past to make reports and give evidence about threats made to persons associated with VINO.

Additionally, the EIC made direct WhatsApp contact with the Commissioner of Police (CoP) Mark Collins who inquired about the report last week and Mr Stoby provided him with confirmation of where it was sent and a screenshot of a section of the report. At no time did Mr Collins inform Mr Stoby that the Email address was not working or that the report must be made in person. We are now told, days later, that the Email address is not familiar to the Police Officers or the Police Press Office and the report should have been made in person. We find this interesting and an attempt to pass the blame when in fact a report was made by VINO and the RVIPF misled the Media by claiming none was.

The Chairman of the Board of Advance Marketing and Professional Services, the parent company of VINO, was also requested to reach out to both Mr Collins and Ag Deputy CoP Jacqueline E. Vanterpool on the matter and the Commissioner of Police conveyed to Mr Willock that a retraction was being worked on.

VINO was also advised that a press statement went out to the media yesterday afternoon February 9, 2022, and to BVI Platinum; however, to date, after numerous requests to the CoP, Acting Deputy Vanterpool and Ms Drayton have failed to even provide us with a copy. This we find disingenuous, suspicious and speaks volumes to character and the lack of confidence the public continues to place/have in the RVIPF.

In addition, with all the evidence presented to the CoP, and to the Police Press Officer, a request was made by VINO for a retraction of their incorrect information; however, to date the RVIPF has refused to do that. This again raises questions about integrity.

Some readers and advertisers have suggested this type of behaviour by the RVIPF was retribution for VINO publishing an accurate article on the bar-hopping scandal where it's alleged that a police vessel was used to take UK Officers bar hopping; however, both the Newsroom and the Board of Directors have rejected that notion.

The behaviour of the RVIPF; however, will not go well for healthy working relations with the Press and in particular VINO.

Unprofessional reporting by Platinum

It should be noted too that BVI Platinum did not attempt to reach our newsroom to get our side of the story, which tells of its unprofessionalism, sensationalism and apparent deliberate attempts to show both VINO and the Chairman in a negative light.

BVI Platinum, which has been under fire recently for dismissing reporter Esther Durand for no reason, according to the reporter, has been hit with a high staff turnover rate and falling revenue and readership. We are wondering if its erroneous article was an attempt at also getting some much-needed attention.