‘We could have been looking for the planes together’- Premier Fahie to Hon Fraser
The most senior member of the House of Assembly (HoA), Honourable Fraser, during the Seventh Sitting of the First Session of the Fourth House of Assembly on October 17, 2019, posed questions to the Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) seeking answers for reported missing documents as it relates to BVI Airways and related court proceedings.
A cover-up?
Premier Fahie made it clear he was advised against giving any details as the matter was in court; however, Hon Fraser continued to press for information on the issue, to the point of suggesting the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) administration was deliberately withholding information.
“On a Point of Order, Mr Speaker, the Member for the Third [District] knows better. I was over there looking for the planes,” said Premier Fahie.
Interrupting, Hon Fraser said, “Now you know where it is, tell me where it is.”
Premier Fahie responded: “I started to ring the bell like ‘Tattoo’ looking for the plane and now I am over here looking for the plane. So I don’t understand what cover-up, I trying to get the $7.2M. I cannot say anything regarding it, it’s in the court. The reason it [is] in the court, they looking for the plane or the money.”
Continuing to press for information on the matter, Hon Fraser told the story of two men who were observing people going in and out of the lodge without saying anything. One of the men then decided to join the lodge; however, when asked by his peer what was going on in the lodge he was told he had to join to know.
“Are you suggesting that for me to know I have to come over there?” asked Hon Fraser as a member of the house was clearly heard saying, “Yes.”
‘We could have been looking for the planes together’- Hon Fahie
But in direct response, Premier Fahie said, “Mr Speaker that one so tempting I can’t answer. The Member knew that we took off together and when I look back I didn’t see him. If he had come, Mr Speaker, we could have been looking for the planes together, after all its two planes.”
Premier Fahie held his position, “all I can tell the member, I don’t know what club he is meaning,” as he reiterated what was legally advised.
“Mr Speaker, the entire matter regarding BVI Airways is a matter subject to the sub-jurist rules, meaning that it is a matter before the court and it is therefore prohibited from public comments and discussion. Mr Speaker, what they tell me is watch your mouth because it’s before the court.”
Background
Both Premier and Hon Fraser were once members of the VIP; however, things took a twist when one of the founding members and leader of the party Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal OBE announced that he was not going to contest the 2015 General Election of the VI and that he was also retiring the position of Chairman of the VIP to allow the party to prepare a team to strongly contest the election.
This resulted in Hon Fraser and Premier Fahie going head to head at the VIP internal election on May 28, 2014, which saw Hon Fraser comfortably beating Hon Fahie 44 to 30. With Hon Fraser at the helm, the VIP went to the polls in 2015 and took a whipping by the NDP which returned to government for a second consecutive term.
Hon Fraser was accused of being the cause for the VIP losing the elections that year and at their next internal elections, Hon Fahie was voted Chairman of the party.
Hon Fahie was also subsequently named Opposition Leader, stripping Hon Fraser of that title.
Things then went downhill with the two as Hon Fahie had repeatedly stated he was not getting the support of Hon Fraser. On the heels of the February 2019 General Elections, Mr Fraser quit and formed his own party, Progressives United (PU), while Hon Fahie surrounded himself with a committed team.
The VIP won the elections that year, making Hon Fahie Premier. Hon Fraser was re-elected Representative for the Third District, giving him a seat in the HoA, but again on the Opposition side.
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