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by pltm
(PLTM) - Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr. Natalio Wheatley, has stated that although he was not aware of the circumstances of the alleged crimes, throughout the years, he and the former Premier Andrew Fahie developed a close personal relationship.
He continued by stating that the criminal allegations against the former Premier Andrew Fahie, dealt a blow to the trust of the people of the Virgin Islands in the Fahie-led administration.
Owing to this fact, the no confidence motion and subsequent establishment of the National Unity Government was even more justifiable
Dr. Wheatley stated that new Government is a message to the people of the Virgin Islands, the region, and the international community that the Government is united in its commitment to implement the recommendations outlined in the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) report, despite having different partisan interests.
“It was a very difficult situation where you had to take a step like that. But it was a necessary step because we had to not think of our personal situations, or our personal relationships. We had to think of the entire country at the time,” Dr. Wheatley asserted in the interview which was streamed on Facebook.
He continued to say that as difficult as it might have been for the former Premier’s family, other loved ones, his constituents and colleagues, a decision had to be made that reflected the overall public interest. . Since the installation of the National Unity Government, on May 5, 2022, Dr. Wheatley has stressed the importance of moving forward and rebuilding. However, he extended compassion for the former Premier, and his loved ones.
Recently, Fahie has been placed on a $1M bond for drug and money laundering related charges, but before he can be released from prison, he would have to prove that his funds are derived from a legitimate source.
“Those are very serious charges, and most likely he’s going to be fighting that battle for a very long time. He’s fighting for his life and that has to be his only focus now,” Dr. Wheatley noted.
In contrast, Dr. Wheatley stated that in the Virgin Islands, the focus remains on the recommendations outlined in the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) report, particularly the possibility of the suspension of the Constitution. While this remains a key point of concern, Dr. Wheatley asserted that the Government is still responsible for grappling with pre-existing issues in the Territory.
“We want the good governance reforms to take on a similar complexion that persons will view the good governance reforms as something that is nonpartisan, as something that is cross-party, and something that we don’t have political divide on, and I think that is the importance of the Unity Government,” Dr. Wheatley affirmed.
