UK Launches Investigation into Alleged Corruption in the British Virgin Islands

https://digismak.com/uk-launches-in...h-virgin-islands-british-virgin-islands/

Wow..

The airline fiasco stands out for me.

I wondered when this would happen......

Kind of reminds me of this clip: Casablanca

LOL...good one

Hoping this gets to the deep root of problems that have been growing in our beloved islands..roundabouts..airlines..drugs..guns..something had to be done and lets hope this rocks the boat so hard that all the corrupt crew fall in the deep water..without life jackets..

Manpot, can you elaborate on your remarks about roundabouts and airlines? I get the drugs and guns references, but not the other two. Thanks.

The BVI Gov put traffic lights on the roundabout in RT..after spending $100,000 to be told by a study group it was a terrible idea. They then spent way over $1 milliion and maybe three installing the lights only to cause accidents and confusion. Three months later they were shut down and then removed ( the lights sadly not the official who OK'd it). The BVI Gov invested $7 Million for BVI Airways for flights from Miami direct to EIS..after showing a painted BVI Airways plane the partners dropped out and disappeared and the BVI Gov and taxpayers were, and still are, out $7 million. That is now tied up in legal red tape. Think they have pi$$ed away any money? Think many relatives have made some of that??? Just saying..and apparently so is the UK Gov. My only question. What took so long? this goes way back to one Premier know as "Mr 10%" and by the time he left office it was more like Mr 50%..his family now pretty much runs all the cruise ship related business in the BVI's..

Very appreciative of your detailed reply, Manpot. I have been to Virgin Gorda 3 times and loved it in each instance, finding it relaxed, friendly, and free from crime.

I'm looking forward to going back sometime within the next 90 to 120 days, because I'd love to support the Island and its businesses. However, I'm saddened to know about what you describe as far more than petty incompetence, but is likely outright corruption, the latter being the most pernicious and malign form of taxation that can be imposed upon a citizenry.

The Judge holds one of the highest offices in the UK a Right Honourable from the Privy Council as well as him we will have a Glasweigan as Governor so 2021 just got intresting for different reasons.

sounds like a mini USA-

Man, I was thinking the same while reading Manpot's comments.

sleepychef--I have no idea what you just said there.

Privy Council is the Queens / Crowns own Judges think Supreme Court, a position. he has already held before in the Falklands,

Glasweigan : someone who was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland.

For me it is the greenhouses. A disaster from day1 and I watched it happen day and night. (yes 24 7 ) It went on for weeks. The end result was millions spent and nothing but ripped up mountains to show in return, Disgusting.
A Hodge disaster. Money went to the DR into relatives accounts.

Remember the septic for the airport? The other bidders included a treatment system, but the job was given to a local who just put in a pipe, saying he wasn't responsible for treating the waste water.

As for the stoplight at the roundabout.
There is a roundabout that was built in Rochester, Mi, one of
the northern suburbs of Detroit, about 15 years ago.
2 lanes in and 2 lanes out X4 and an extra right turn exit
23 stop lights.
I've never seen them turned on
Casually spending other peoples money seems common place

Mike
Trying to be the man my dog thinks I am

It is way past time for this to happen.

Let us hope that the judge and commission do a thorough housecleaning.

Sounds like this might (and I use that in a weak sense) have a shot at cleaning out some scoundrels and bring (some) accountability and transparency. Unfortunately, what usually happens, not just in the bvi but many places is one party accuses and shows evidence of dishonesty and malfeasance, next election comes, they win the majority share of government and their own crooks go to work using the people’s money to fill their own pockets.

With, I’m not really certain how much authority, this clear outsider if not badly impeded, should be able to find the issues of skullduggery in this government and the previous one.

The question then becomes enforcement and penalties. Can prosecutors be counted on to take charges seriously regardless against what officials they are levied? Is the Judiciary of the BVI, a small nation where there are likely personal or familial connections between legislators, an independent body that would fairly rule over trials and sentencing?

With the huge drug deals, all the mismanagement listed above and one family control of the on island cruise ship industry, id say the Inspector from Glasgow has his work cut out for him as does the Governor. It was telling that the former Governor that set this up s peach announcing this investigation was not covered on the BVI government social media accounts.

Hope for taxpayers and residents there is appropriate action that results in better governance.

Don’t forget the $100 million hospital, the $30 million
Pier Park overrun and the Million dollar wall around the high school. A benefactor of many consultancies had a nice house built on weekends while the pier park was under construction.
The best part is the “surprise” reaction to the huge drug stash found in a policeman’s home. And this is just the stuff that is public knowledge.
Fisherman with high speed boats. Uh huh.

"Recently-installed Acting Financial Secretary, Jeremiah Frett has already recommended a number of new initiatives to the government, including establishing a two-tier Revenue Committee, which will assist the territory in generating new revenue streams ahead of the 2022 financial year." https://bvinews.com/govt-to-establish-revenue-committee-on-advice-of-new-fs/

Looks like it might be a better idea to look more closely at the spending side of the equation.....

New revenue will be difficult when they are trying so hard to keep tourists out. You know, us with ready green cash!
Sorry, we’re going elsewhere!
Tourist/sailing dollars are movable and fungible.

Like I said before, we had hopes of getting back to the BVI one day but now...it's not even on the radar.

With, I’m not really certain how much authority, this clear outsider if not badly impeded, should be able to find the issues of skullduggery in this government and the previous one.

The judge has more power than the governor when it comes to requesting information and requiring people to appear before him , anybody that causes impediment will lose thier civil service job and pension and other private people can be fined and or jailed.

Then the mystery of the $90,0000 12x12 kiosks at the pier park. But you must understand this tradition! Remember "Mr. 10%"? Even the financial sector started out as a money laundering operation.

The investigation will take years. The criminals will bet on delays and hope for a change in politics. Best hope is the graft will slow down for a while.

It was great fun hanging out at the roundabouts with signals watching the mass confusion and frequent accidents. Almost like getting a mooring early and watching all the new bare-boaters.

Sleepychef has a better handle on it than I do, but there is a great desire on the BVI media by government heads of both parties to cast aspersions on the inquiry. They are claiming it’s an attempt by the UK to take over the country. They are claiming this investigation is keeping them from completing their internal investigations of poor governance and getting to the bottom of it. That kinda sounds like OJ going to look for the “real killers”. They are complaining about not being given a notice well before this investigation so that things could have been worked out through diplomacy. Then the current prime minister said he wanted every bit of the investigation to be carried live over the bvi media. Lol of course that is the way to have people feel good about coming forward with those they would be testifying against watching.

There was an effort by the politicians to stir up distrust of the UK, the governor and the judge. A big effort to discount the investigation before it begins.

There is a lot of money at stake. I have no idea what the major drug surge in the area has to do with with the political leadership if anything. However in the the same paper there was a store about a bust with hundreds of kilos of cocaine. That’s big time. A while back they found the quarter of a billion dollars worth of cocaine at the policeman’s house. Off. St. Thomas on two occasions recently they’ve had boats chucking suitcases into the water stuffed with cash, one instance of several million dollars. It seems the area is playing a much larger role in the drug trade. In most Caribbean and South American countries where you get that degree of narco trafficking you usually have government payoffs. If that is the case, it may get unhealthy in a hurry for those telling all they know.

https://www.bviplatinum.com/

So the judge surely has his work cut out for him.

and the new governor is also a very important partof this process

https://www.royalgazette.com/court/...brown-faces-corruption-charges-in-court/

^^ Very interesting. Sounds like there may be expansion work needed at Balo!

An interesting article by the BVI Beacon as well: https://www.bvibeacon.com/editorial...inquiry-is-needed/#.YAmLJ6LMIPI.facebook

https://www.284media.com/local/2021...54sOhFpckTtriw7UApOBUmwukYQseie8okDrv6fE

This is getting interesting!

So the government has hired a law firm to defend itself?

why not...its not their money and looks good for the PR battle as the aggrieved victims...LOL

That is interesting. They've hired the man, Geoffrey Cox - former UK Attorney General, who stood up to Boris Johnson by telling him that what he was trying to do as part of leaving the European Union was illegal. So the BVI Government has hired someone sacked for upholding the law while under enormous pressure. One of the most principled people around!

Here is a long list of missing money

Airport ‘done deal’ millions for consultant fees
Missing plane 7.2million
East End Sewerage millions diverted
Destroyed Agriculture (and Fishing)
Green Houses never used…
Brandy Wine Fake Beach 7.6million
Road Project disaster 16million
Pier Park millions overrun
Road Town Sewerage issues
Road Town Market Square debacle
Hospital millions overrun
Water Dept 10 million plus annual deficit
Teachers Banquet
Fake Culture Dress/Song
High School Wall issue
Cane Garden Bay Sewerage
What is the real cost of NHI?
Pockwood Pond Incinerator Issues, missing 400k+ scrubber
Coxheath still burning, not cleared of debris
West End Ferry Terminal
Smugglers Cove debacle
Police Dept funding issue
Fire Station repair cost
Town Ferry Terminal repair cost
Political Asphalt (for the second time)…
And whatever happened to all them millions supposedly donated by other countries after Irma???