Beautiful Virgin Islands

Sunday, Jul 06, 2025

2 UK solicitors appointed to CoI

2 UK solicitors appointed to CoI

In a press statement that was not shared with Virgin Islands News Online (VINO), the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) in the Virgin Islands has stated that two solicitors have been appointed to the Inquiry.

The Commission of Inquiry was announced on January 18, 2021, by controversial ex-governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert, mere days before he exited the Virgin Islands (VI).

Mr Jaspert had claimed that the CoI is to look into whether corruption, abuse of office or other serious dishonesty may have taken place amongst public, elected and statutory officials in “recent years”.

According to the statement sent to selected media houses today, March 15, 2021, two solicitors, Mr Andrew King and Ms Rhea Harrikissoon, have been appointed to the COI’s legal team, joining Mr Bilal Rawat (Counsel to the Inquiry).

“They bring with them a range of relevant knowledge and experience,” CoI Secretary Steven Chandler stated.

Solicitors


The statement, obtained by our newsroom, said Mr King qualified as a solicitor in private practice in 2009. In 2010 he joined the UK’s National Crime Agency (formerly the Serious Organised Crime Agency) until he moved to the UK Government Legal Department (formerly the Treasury Solicitor’s Department) in 2014 where he held a number of roles primarily dealing with public law litigation.

Ms Harrikissoon, according to the CoI statement, qualified in private practice in 2012, specialising in childcare and family law. She joined the UK Government Legal Department in 2015 and has extensive experience in public law challenges, and more recently with public inquiry work including the Brook House Inquiry and Infected Blood Inquiry. Ms Harrikissoon was the Solicitor to the Windrush Lessons Learned Review.

Sir Gary R. Hickinbottom is the sole Commissioner.

Was the CoI a vendetta?


While many in the Virgin Islands agree that certain projects in the VI over the years may have warranted an Inquiry, they have been suspicious about the motive for this one, especially since the former Governor, Mr Jaspert, shared a strained relationship with the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Government.

Mr Jaspert was accused of trying to bully the elected Government of Andrew A. Fahie (R1) and to cause a friction between the government and the electorate.

The ex-governor, who some had deemed insensitive and even racist following statements late last year about reparations and preservation of names of landmarks, was also accused of trying to bully the House of Assembly.

In May 2020, Veteran legislator Hon Julian Fraser RA brought a motion to the House of Assembly to reprimand Mr Jaspert over his late tabling of the BVI Airways Report from the Auditor General.

The motion; however, was defeated.

More to CoI than what meets the eye?


Mr Jaspert seemingly had the last laugh; however, as he kept the Government in the dark about his planned CoI based on “unfounded allegations” and then colluded with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the UK press to give the CoI announcement international publicity, which sought to damage the reputation of the Virgin Islands.

Some have argued; however, that the real objective of the CoI may be bigger than Governor Jaspert’s apparent ‘tit for tat’ and may be a scheme to set back the Virgin Islands progress in governance and democracy as the territory seeks to push towards self-determination.

This is also the year that the VI seeks constitutional review with the UK and it has repeatedly stated it is not satisfied with the current arrangements, which legislators and political pundits have in no uncertain terms labeled as ‘one sided.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×