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by pltm
(PLTM) - Sixth District Representative Hon. Alvera Maduro-Caines said she is currently ‘neutral’ on the controversial matter of whether taxpayers should foot the Speaker of the House of Assembly Hon. Julian Willock’s $98, 676.51 in legal fees associated with a failed injunction against three attorneys of the ongoing Commission of Inquiry (CoI).
Hon. Willock's injunction claimed that the trio – Bilal Rawat, Andrew King and Rhea Harrikisoon – were practising law in the territory without being called to the bar, contrary with the Legal Professions Act of 2015.
However, Hon. Willock aborted the injunction after the court held that consent was needed and was not received from Attorney General Hon. Dawn Smith for the matter to proceed.
As such, as per the published judgment issued on November 11, 2021, the court said the total fee was a combination of lawyers' fees and administrative costs which must be paid by Hon. Willock to the CoI lawyers and the Attorney General.
“To be honest I haven’t really commented on it, it went to a committee of the House so I guess when the committee is finished in the next few months they will give us their recommendation on what should be done,” she told BVI Platinum News in an invited comment on the issue on Thursday, November 25.
The government's backbencher Member added: “I am just neutral.”
Her other colleagues have stated their position on the matter during the debate of the Motion and subsequent vote on November 4.
The controversial Motion in question was brought by Premier and Minister for Finance Hon. Andrew Fahie in relation to the possible exemption of Speaker from footing the legal fees.
The Motion which was passed, received a total of five Members in support, two against and five absent members.
Opposition Leader Hon. Marlon Penn and his Opposition colleague Hon. Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull were the only ones who voted against the motion.
Hon. Sharie de Castro, Premier and Minister for Finance Hon. Andrew Fahie, Hon. Carvin Malone, Hon. Kye Rymer and Hon. Natalio ‘Sowande’ Wheatley voted for the motion. Hon. Shereen Flax-Charles did not vote because she was absent, having had to catch the ferry back to Virgin Gorda.
On the other hand, at the same sitting, another Motion was brought to the HoA by the Opposition Leader to make some amendments to the Premier's amended Motion in question.
However, Penn's Motion received five no’s three yeses and four absent votes.
The three votes in support of the Opposition's Motion came from Hon. Flax-Charles, Hon. Penn and Hon. Turnbull. The Motion, in summary, was to move that the decision from Judge Adrian Jack stand undisturbed in the HoA.
The select committee Hon. Maduro-Caines referred to will consist of Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration, Hon. Vincent Wheatley, representing the governing Virgin Islands Party (VIP), Third District Representative and leader of Progressives United (PU) Hon. Julian Fraser, and Fourth District Representative Hon. Mark Vanterpool representing the National Democratic Party (NDP).
