Beautiful Virgin Islands

Sunday, Jul 06, 2025

CoI requested private, sensitive information of locals seeking Gov't's help – Premier

CoI requested private, sensitive information of locals seeking Gov't's help – Premier

Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) said the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) had requested private, sensitive information from locals seeking government’s assistance during their most vulnerable moments.

Premier Fahie said these documents included medical diagnosis and other supporting documents for their application for help via the government’s hardship payments scheme, created following the 2017 hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This request appears to have been made under the misapprehension that Honourable Members were themselves paid the money for distribution to their constituents since it sought details on when and how the funds were transferred to a member. In fact, the monies were disbursed by the Ministry of Finance on the basis of a standard form written application with supporting documents and information attesting to the particular hardships suffered by individuals,” Premier Fahie said during the Seventh Sitting of the Third Session of the Fourth House of Assembly at Save the Seed Energy Centre in Duff's Bottom on Tuesday, April 20, 2021.

He said, “Even where information has raised possible issues of confidentiality, legal professional privilege or public interest immunity, the government’s default position has been to waive those considerations and only to seek ffrom the commissioner clear assurances as to the future secure and confidential treatment of those documents, these it has received.”

He explained that this was the position because the assistance came from public funds. Despite this, there would be need for “proper and rigorous justifications” for the information otherwise, these sensitive information would have been revealed unnecessarily.

Premier Fahie said documents requested by the Commission of Inquiry included medical diagnosis and other supporting documents for their application for help via the government’s hardship payments scheme, created following the 2017 hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic.


IRU has submitted 3,977 official documents to CoI


According to the Premier, the Inquiry Response Unit (IRU) and the Attorney General's Chamber suggested that only the names and contact details, along with the sums that the successful applicants received, should suffice.

He said the “reply was at first discouraging, but the IRU informed the Commissioner’s team that it would only provide the sensitive information of individual Virgin Islanders if a legal justification was given. At that point, I’m glad to say the Commissioner’s team agreed — for now — to accept the IRU’s proposal and withdraw its request for the indiscriminate disclosure of the hundreds of personal and human tragedies that we know Irma and coronavirus have caused the people of the Virgin Islands.”

Premier Fahie also stated that to date, 3,977 official documents consisting of 72,902 pages have been submitted by the IRU on behalf of the government to the CoI.

The IRU was established by the Cabinet of the Virgin Islands on February 5, 2021, to ensure full cooperation with the Inquiry and facilitation of the Inquiry process, while upholding the legal duties and legitimate interests of the Government.

The Commission of Inquiry was announced on January 18, 2021, by controversial former Governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert 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 in the [British] Virgin Islands.

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
×