All of the BVI’s failings were under the Governor - Malone
Former Health Minister Carvin Malone has suggested that all of the major failings in government that led to the Commission of Inquiry (COI) were under the supervision of the Governor’s Office.
During an appearance on the Talking Points show on Monday, Malone said he was concerned the BVI failed to meet several benchmarks after signing the Protocols for Effective Fiscal Management back in 2012. And according to him, he took those concerns to former Governor John Duncan.
Malone said he recalled telling Duncan that the United Kingdom (UK), by not intervening back then, appeared to be setting the scene to emerge as a saviour at a later time.
“I remember telling him, if it is that you guys are going to be letting a number of these events roll on, it would seem to me, as if you’ll do it to your advantage, and at the midnight hour you’ll come in and you play like, ‘I’m here to save the citizens from this, and so forth’,” Malone said.
The legislator further said he felt as if there was a need for a review for a number of those particular issues in order to keep the BVI in track. “If you sign this particular document, and you do not intend to abide by it, then to me, it will have consequences,“ Malone stated.
When asked whether this was not a clear indication that the BVI was unable to self-regulate, Malone sought to shift the blame for the BVI’s failings to the Governor.
“Well, you see what happened is that all of the arms that failed came under one head — the Governor and the Deputy Governor’s head,” Malone argued.
He then proceeded to list a number of portfolios that were brought under the microscope during the COI. “The courts, under the governor; the police, under the governor; external affairs, under the governor; civil service, under the governor – all of these arms are under the one particular head,” the former Health Minister argued.
Malone said the Register of Interests — for which many legislators failed to comply — was also under the stewardship of the governor.
“So they (UK) failed in terms of monitoring it properly to make sure that it happened,” Malone argued.
Malone, while insisting that he was not there to defend any wrong doing, said he took offence to the assertion of any COI Commissioner that the BVI did not have leaders in the past, present or future that could right its wrongs.
Malone said he recalled telling Duncan that the United Kingdom (UK), by not intervening back then, appeared to be setting the scene to emerge as a saviour at a later time.
“I remember telling him, if it is that you guys are going to be letting a number of these events roll on, it would seem to me, as if you’ll do it to your advantage, and at the midnight hour you’ll come in and you play like, ‘I’m here to save the citizens from this, and so forth’,” Malone said.
The legislator further said he felt as if there was a need for a review for a number of those particular issues in order to keep the BVI in track. “If you sign this particular document, and you do not intend to abide by it, then to me, it will have consequences,“ Malone stated.
When asked whether this was not a clear indication that the BVI was unable to self-regulate, Malone sought to shift the blame for the BVI’s failings to the Governor.
“Well, you see what happened is that all of the arms that failed came under one head — the Governor and the Deputy Governor’s head,” Malone argued.
He then proceeded to list a number of portfolios that were brought under the microscope during the COI. “The courts, under the governor; the police, under the governor; external affairs, under the governor; civil service, under the governor – all of these arms are under the one particular head,” the former Health Minister argued.
Malone said the Register of Interests — for which many legislators failed to comply — was also under the stewardship of the governor.
“So they (UK) failed in terms of monitoring it properly to make sure that it happened,” Malone argued.
Malone, while insisting that he was not there to defend any wrong doing, said he took offence to the assertion of any COI Commissioner that the BVI did not have leaders in the past, present or future that could right its wrongs.
