The government has signalled its intention to formally reject the United Kingdom’s new report, which identified corruption within the Virgin Islands’ law enforcement agencies and recommended placing key offices under the governor’s purview.
Published on April 8, the report has been widely criticised, with all members of the House of Assembly and some segments of the public rejecting its findings. Several elected officials have urged Premier Natalio Wheatley’s administration not to accept the report in its entirety, warning that doing so could lead to harmful consequences.
In a statement issued yesterday, Premier Wheatley said the government is open to considering many of the report’s suggestions but will categorically reject others.
“The report itself has several practical, detailed suggestions and observations that we will consider. But it also has many that we must reject categorically,” Premier Wheatley’s statement said. “More broadly, the Government of the Virgin Islands cannot accept its mischaracterisation of the situation on the island, nor the characterisation of our citizens’ talents and capability.”
The Premier also noted that the report fails to acknowledge the progress the Virgin Islands has made in strengthening governance and institutions in recent years. He reiterated that his administration does not support placing key law enforcement agencies under the governor’s authority.
“The governor already has constitutional responsibility for the security of the territory, which is the subject of criticism in this report. To accept this premise would also represent submitting to colonial overreach, and represent a retrograde step for democracy in the British Virgin Islands,” the statement said.
According to the statement, members of the House of Assembly will come together to thoroughly assess the report before issuing a formal response to the UK government.
The government’s stance comes amid criticism from Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn, who accused the administration of capitulating when it accepted the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report released in 2022.
Walwyn argued that, before accepting the COI report, leaders should have consulted legal experts from across the Caribbean who could have helped them understand the long-term implications.
He also claimed the COI report paved the way for the UK to brand the BVI government as corrupt and to release damaging reports like the recent review of local law enforcement.
However, Premier Wheatley has maintained that elected officials who accepted the COI recommendations acted in the best interest of the territory by agreeing to implement good governance reforms. He said doing so helped prevent the UK from enacting an Order in Council that would have stripped local leaders of their authority.
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