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Where is Premier Smith's $92,500 tax payers SUV?

Premier Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith’s (AL) luxury vehicle purchased by tax payers was unscathed by Hurricane Irma, Photo: VINO/File
The $92,500 Cadillac Escalade involved in an accident at Wickham's Cay II on July 31, 2016. Photo: Team of Reporters
The $92,500 Cadillac Escalade involved in an accident at Wickham's Cay II on July 31, 2016. Photo: Team of Reporters
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- There was much outrage in 2016 when Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith (AL) approved for himself a brand-new Ninety Two Thousand, Five Hundred Dollar ($92,500) 2016 Cadillac Escalade.
It was purchased after the 2015 general elections when facts showed (from questions in the Parliament) that the National Democratic Party (NDP) had left the country broke and could not pay their bills.

This information was made public following a question in the House of Assembly (HoA) on February 4, 2016 posed by now Opposition Leader Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) to Premier Smith. They were at the time in the Sixth Sitting of the First Session of the Third HoA.

VIP did it too- Smith

To justify the purchase of such an expensive SUV, the Premier told a Press Conference that the previous Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Government had also purchased new government vehicles.

However, since huricanes Irma and Maria, two powerful Category 5 hurricanes that destroyed the VI, leaving death, homelessness, widespread looting and panic in the streets for food and gasoline, the Premier's official state-owned vehicle has been missing from the roads.

Political image matters to Dr Smith

In fact, when we called our senior NDP source to inquire about the vehicle, we were told that since the killer storms "the boss was advised not to drive it because he does not want to give the impression that he is above the people, so it's parked in the basement of the Central Administration Complex."

When pushed on this concept, the same source said "well the vehicle did not sustain any damages and Doc is using the old vehicle Mr O'Neal used."

So, therefore, now it begs the question whether the Premier needed to invest in a new vehicle in the first place.

It was on the night of July 31, 2016 that the Premier's $92,500 Cadillac Escalade was involved in a lone accident at around 11:00 P.M., outside The Moorings on the James Walter Francis Drive dual carriageway on Wickham’s Cay II.

Dr Smith was not the target of gunshots

The Premier's police driver was the only occupant of the state-owned vehicle and he was reportedly trying to evade gunshots fired at another vehicle in the opposite direction on the dual carriageway when the accident occurred.

After police investigations, it was confirmed that there were no attempts to assassinate the Head of Government, Dr Smith, who was at the time at the 2016 Miss BVI Queen show with First Lady Lorna G. Smith OBE.

22 Responses to “Where is Premier Smith's $92,500 tax payers SUV?”

  • wow (20/11/2017, 15:20) Like (18) Dislike (6) Reply
    Slow news day VINO?
    • @ SMH (20/11/2017, 18:11) Like (20) Dislike (11) Reply
      Yes we do care as $94 g could pay some civil servants salaries month end!!!!
      • Well Well (21/11/2017, 08:10) Like (9) Dislike (6) Reply
        @/@ SMH
        We just try to find ways to attack our leaders. The money done spent almost 2 years now , and here we are talking about this car and Irma at the same time. Time to put silly ideas aside. and ReBuild the BVI.
  • DEEPEATER (20/11/2017, 15:40) Like (37) Dislike (6) Reply
    Too busy worring when it rains, buying gasoline, mooping up water, worring about my job, worring about my insurance claim and a number of other things than to be worring about the Premier"s vehicle.
  • pat (20/11/2017, 16:09) Like (12) Dislike (6) Reply
    He is a coward if he afraid to drive it
    • Road Town Resident (21/11/2017, 11:55) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      If would have been driving it now, I'm sure the talk would be how insensitive he is.
  • island man (20/11/2017, 16:37) Like (20) Dislike (7) Reply
    I agree with the Premier in not using the vehicle. Base on the present road condition it will cost tax payers too much for the suspension damage it will sustain.
    People lets look it this one as a good judgement because if anything happen to the vehicle with the road condition it will be used as an excuse to purchase an even more expensive one.
    So I agree with the Premier in not using the vehicle at this time.
  • yellow (20/11/2017, 18:09) Like (20) Dislike (5) Reply
    Yea I saw it at the basement all covered up. It was another bad ndp investment wasted tax payers $$$$
    • Hush (20/11/2017, 21:51) Like (2) Dislike (11) Reply
      Ya lie it wasn’t covered it’s in the basement AND SO WHAT SERIOULY THE JEEP DOESNT COST THAT MUCH SUPPOSE HE BOUGHT A RANGE OR BENTLEY COME ON MAN
  • wize up (20/11/2017, 19:03) Like (14) Dislike (3) Reply
    Some persons inhis territory are without food and shelter and some find time to harp on a vehicle:
    • @ wize up (20/11/2017, 21:04) Like (11) Dislike (0) Reply
      for real vino wheel and come again talk about the thieving of the donated stuff
  • Local (20/11/2017, 20:28) Like (11) Dislike (3) Reply
    That Vehicle cheap . Why is this such an important issue.
  • Children melee (20/11/2017, 22:09) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Red light green light 123
  • Crand (21/11/2017, 10:25) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
    I am totally fed up with everything. The amount of money stolen from the tax payers, Pier Park, hospital erection, and the list is endless. There is no shame from the people in charge of our Islands who have been stealing and misusing the money from VIP and NDP, while we all have to sit back and watch. We are suffering to the point of 3rd world countries. The roads are death traps, those who have are acting as though nothing is wrong. There has been no garbage pick up in many places since the storm, threatening to take our only transport off the road because of hurricane damage, as though we can just go buy another one. They should at least give us a year to get back on our feet. I can't take this anymore. Depressed like HELL.
  • Poor he (21/11/2017, 15:49) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    Smith ,,resign ,, i think people dont want you any longer
    • Curious (21/11/2017, 16:35) Like (1) Dislike (2) Reply
      We don't want him anymore!!!! Never should have been put in that position in the first place.
  • My Goodness (21/11/2017, 19:21) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    How about Dr. Pickering,s Mercedes?
  • Fair go (22/11/2017, 00:15) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    There is a lot that needs to be answered to the people but this is not an overtly ostentatious car. That it is a rubbish American car that will hall to bits in two years makes it a poor choice but our leader should be in a Land Rover or Jaguar SUV. Practical and befitting of office without being all Grace Mugabe or Donald Trump.

    Speaking of which there was massive world news today in Africa and BVI news outlets World news is about STT... smh
    • Reply (22/11/2017, 15:40) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      Just like mugabe rule finally ended so will the ndp rule come crashing down
  • hmmmmmm (22/11/2017, 19:41) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    MAN FOR HEAVEN SAKE. IT PARK, IT PARK. WHEN PRINCE CHUCK WAS HERE HE USED IT. DON'T SEE THE BIG DEAL. HE ACTUALLY SAVED 92K BUT PROTECTING IT. EVERYTHING ELSE FOR GOVT GONE.
  • Really (22/11/2017, 22:45) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Who cares!
  • Cayman car (23/11/2017, 22:00) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    Cayman got theirs imported cheaply and didn’t pay shipping as it came on the summer navy ship. We need to think on a bit.


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