Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

‘CoI designed to make people feel VI can’t govern itself’- Deputy Premier

‘CoI designed to make people feel VI can’t govern itself’- Deputy Premier

“The United Kingdom would like us to come to the conclusion that we are just not capable of governing ourselves therefore they must be the ones to govern us.”

This is the strong view of Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7).

CoI seeking ‘to make you look bad as possible’- Dr Wheatley


“They would love to come to that conclusion and quite a number of persons have gone to that conclusion or leaning to that conclusion and we have a Commission of Inquiry process designed to make people feel that way,” Dr Wheatley said on the radio show Umoja with host Cromwell Smith and guest Shaina M. Smith-Archer on August 24, 2021.

The Deputy Premier's conviction does not exactly come as a surprise since United Kingdom Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson once said colonialism in Africa should never have ended and downplayed Britain’s role in the slave trade.

Dr Wheatley explained that the CoI, which is being operated through a law from the 1880’s, does not allow for cross-examination for information and witnesses. One attorney in the VI even likened the process to an “inquisition”.

“So they are the one completely in charge of the process. What question to ask…In fact they have gone through all of this information and they have designed their question specifically not to bring truth to the public to make you look bad as possible, based on what they perceive to be your deficiencies,” Dr Wheatley asserted, to the agreement of Mr Cromwell Smith.

‘We have to praise VINO’- Cromwell Smith


Dr Wheatley continued: “And I guarantee you if you take a look at their societies you will find way worse.”

"But they worse than we,” Smith retorted, adding that VINO should be praised for publishing stories about the UK that bring a balance about their state of affairs.

According to Dr Wheatley, “It’s just a reality. Does our population know that the United Kingdom has been just as delinquent as they have been with their registration of interests?

“No, they don’t know that. We don’t know,” Mr Smith said, adding “We think we are the worse people on earth.”

“Which is sad right?” Smith-Archer added.

‘VI more transparent than UK!’- Dr Wheatley


Dr Wheatley even went as far as to say the VI is more transparent that even the United Kingdom.

“Why? Because everybody knows your business.

“Here is what our people were so demoralised by; Dr [D. Orlando] Smith did not write down on the paper that he had interest in PicSmith [Medical]. You know how foolish that is for us?"

It is no secret that PicSmith Medical is a joint venture by former premier Dr D. Orlando Smith and former legislator Dr Kedrick D. Pickering.

“[Hon] Mark Vanterpool did not write down on the paper that he had interest in One Mart. You know how foolish that is for us? Not that I am saying we shouldn’t write it down on the paper but the point of the Register of Interests is for when you having a debate or when you making a decision on a particular bill that the public will be aware of a potential conflict that you have," Dr Wheatley continued.

What is the purpose if Register of Interests?


Smith-Archer added that persons need to indeed understand what is the purpose of the Register of Interests because there is a system already in place whereby anyone seeking to run for political office has to declare their interests.

‘Even before you become elected you have to declare your interests, actually publish it in a newspaper. So that information is already something that has to go public to even qualify to get on the ballot,” Smith-Archer said.

From left: Counsel to the CoI Bilal M. Rawat and Commissioner Gary R. Hickinbottom.

From left: Host Cromwell Smith and guest Shaina M. Smith-Archer on Umoja on August 24, 2021.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×