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by pltm
(PLTM) - During his appearance before the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) that he commissioned, former Governor Augustus Jaspert said among allegations spewing out of the BVI public were claims of persons in top positions involved in drug trafficking.
Jaspert said on Wednesday, October 20, that he had no choice but to call the CoI to probe those very serious allegations of wrongdoings in the territory.
“To be very clear, as Governor, one of my most difficult decisions was to call the CoI; it was not a step that I would have ever wanted to undertake. Should there be any other way to avoid doing so,” he stated in response to questions from Counsel to the CoI, Mr. Bilal Rawat.
He added, “Those specific ones that you mentioned [Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park development and Elmore Stoutt High School Wall saga] there were still investigations underway, but for me calling the CoI was raised because of key legitimate concerns represented to me about the governance which I saw the practices continuing.”
Providing examples to the CoI, Mr. Jaspert said, the practice of the continued tender waivers, including for Mr. Claude Skelton Cline’s consultancy, as well as doing things contrary to the laws of the territory.
“Also some of the practice of appointing people to statutory boards without transparency or openness process. Also, sometimes there were some institutions hindered in carrying out their work into those alleged areas, which were to be looked at in more detail," the former Governor stated.
He also pointed to serious concerns relating to intimidation of public officers and allegations about decisions being directed outside the processes.
According to the Governor, "also allegations of links to organized criminality and those involved in the cocaine trafficking including, allegedly amongst those in the highest office."
The former Governor further said that the issues were “a cumulative set of concerns” that had been raised to him by credible members of society, including public officers and leaders of some of the BVI’s institutions."
He also mentioned that Premier and Minister for Finance Hon. Andrew Fahie and the rest of the Cabinet had discussed the matter of the CoI with him as well as his predecessor to probe into some of the controversial projects that stemmed from the previous National Democratic Party (NDP) administration such as the BVI Airways deal, the Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park development and Elmore Stoutt High School Wall.
However, as it turned out, the CoI is not only looking into the functioning of the previous NDP administration, but also this current Hon. Fahie-led administration, with the handling of the COVID-19 stimulus, among others.
