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by pltm
(PLTM) - Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon. Andrew Fahie is not backing down from his claims of the National Democratic Party (NDP) administration being the most corrupt ever, despite some persons blaming those comments for the ongoing United Kingdom-led Commission of Inquiry into Government corruption.
“Yes, I said when I was in the opposition who was the most corrupt Government ever,” Premier Fahie recently told the House of Assembly.
He added, “I don’t go away from that. Mine wasn’t based on anything that I feel.”
He shared that he has three good reasons for his corruption claims, pointing to the failed BVI Airways deal.
“You have no plane, no money and no flights. I could say that based on that; ain’t nothing I have to go research,” Premier Fahie shared.
The Premier disclosed that the airline is now suing Government.
“And now I who was saying that have to turn around now and protect the country from a $10M suit from the same plane where the $7.5M gone and we have no money, no flights and no planes, but now they saying that certain things wasn’t done so they have a law suit up there…we fighting for our life from it being $10M or more,” the Premier stated.
While not stating a name, Premier Fahie appeared to suggest that the previous Governor, Augustus Jaspert, was not in favour of the BVI defending the lawsuit from BVI Airways. “And when we were doing the case the same last one that start a lot of this mischief, they were fighting us not to go defend the BVI, telling us leave it alone. My ministers there they could tell you. I say I never thought I would have hear that out of somebody…come represent the highest level of the land from up by the mother Country. That is amazing,” the Premier stated.
The CoI has wide sweeping powers to investigate Government corruption with no set timeline to focus on and can go as far back as it wants. Most recently a caller to NDP radio sought to blame the Hon. Fahie-led Virgin Islands Party administration for the CoI, pointing to the comments of corruption
While in opposition, Premier Fahie had pressed the NDP administration for information surrounding the deal.
Once he assumed the leadership of the country, Premier Fahie revealed that the two planes that were apparently purchased with taxpayer funding in 2016 were sold twice and are now operating out of Australia. Premier Fahie revealed the probe done by Martin Kenney & Co. Solicitors, uncovered that some of the major players in the failed airline were still residing in the Territory.
According to the Premier, Pauline Jones, a United Kingdom native, residing in the Territory, owns 31 percent of shares in the company. He said, another UK native, now a BVI resident, Bradley Bogen, owns another 20 percent, while a Delaware based company holds the remaining 49 per cent.
The Auditor General's (AG) report into the Government’s financing of BVI Airways' plans for direct flights to Miami laid out damning evidence.
The AG found that payments in the amount of $7.2M to the airline were made outside of the scheduled approval by the Cabinet of the Virgin Islands.
In the recommendations, the Auditor General’s report pinpointed that former Financial Secretary, Neil Smith should be required to provide answers for his apparent excesses of authority beyond Cabinet’s authorizations, including his release of $2M in January 2017 to the operating parties which may also amount to a breach of trust.
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