Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

Fisher Folk, farmers and less fortunate would starve to death in BVI if criticism by COI is accepted

Fisher Folk, farmers and less fortunate would starve to death in BVI if criticism by COI is accepted

British Virgin Islands, (BVI) – During the world's most serious medical threat to life, the coronavirus pandemic, the British government through its foreign secretary is seemingly focused not on helping the British Virgin Islands fight the pandemic but on dismantling its government structure, government processes and local morale by conducting a Commission of Inquiry (COI).
But, a storyline has developed and one strange fact that came to light is a former Governor’s appointee to the auditor general department was busy with her own inquiry as the Andrew Fahie government was trying desperately to get much-needed monies into the hands of its most vulnerable, farmers and fisherfolk, who were financially devasted by the collapse of the economy due to the pandemic.

Sonia Webster, the auditor general who was brought out of retirement by former Governor Gus Jaspert was busy scrutinizing the finance department while the public was told to stay home and remain in quarantine. What she depicted to the COI is a premier’s office who was trying to “block” her access to documents, but sources inside the Fahie government defend their actions saying it was very strange, that while the government was trying to prevent starvation by the most vulnerable former governor Gus Jaspert and Webster were incensed by the legal methods which are available to the local government to inject capital into the local economy through grants, small contracts and soft loans.

As it turns out, the UK government led by Boris Johnson were engaged in even more questionable coronavirus spending than those they are investigating in the Virgin Islands, leaving many to question the motive of conducting a Commission of Inquiry (COI) hearing about pandemic spending in BVI.

The very real issue is one of power and control of the territories, that sources say ostensibly: “Jaspert wanted Fahie and his government to take a back seat and let him run the country similar to what had happened in other Overseas Territories such as Turks and Caicos, and when that did not happen a plot to take over the BVI government through a COI was hatched.”

“If left up to Jaspert and Commissioner, Gary Hickinbottom, our people would starve,” said a source. This constant questioning and interference by the governor is one of the things that led to a breakdown in the relationship between the governor and Fahie.

The local population have been speculating that Hickinbottom is nothing more than a “hook-in-the bottom” of the BVIslanders as they try to fight off a raging pandemic and a reputational hit to the country brought about by the British government mechanism of a commission of inquiry.
Currently, while 1,600 people are said to have coronavirus and 23 have died in a small population including members of the civil service, the Commission is insensitive and perhaps contributing to the spread of the virus by insisting that their inquiry continues. The Commission has since taken a break and the governor recently extended the timeline despite the threat to life in BVI.

Meanwhile, none of the insensitivity and hypocrisy of the British government’s actions in BVI towards the local government and people seems to get noticed in London as the UK is busy reopening from its lockdowns.

The commission of inquiry came about because Jaspert having the constitutional upper hand on the premier, detailed a long list of alleged abuses to the foreign secretary who took Jaspert’s word and called for a commission after Fahie rebuffed his attempts at an internal takeover. However, Fahie or the local government was never asked for their side of the story by the British government or Dominic Raab the foreign secretary before calling a Commission of Inquiry, which flies in the face of good governance, transparency and fairness but more importantly against the stated partnership which the UK Foreign Office espouses with her territories.

Nevertheless, it might have proven fruitless if Fahie did have such a meeting to air his side since the British government has been busy dismantling the appearance of any real power from local politicians in the Overseas Territories for the past decade through various British government appointed inquiries but particularly, in the four most prosperous Caribbean territories of BVI, Cayman, Bermuda and Turks and Caicos Islands; especially during periods of world crises such as the 2008 - 2012 period in Turks and Caicos, while the world was going through a global recession.

Essentially, the end goal of the playbook used by the foreign office seems to open up the bidding process to expatriate companies for lucrative government contracts, takeover crown land and expand the population through the grant of Belonger status - most of these tools are imagined by the local government to help its people.

“This initial process is well advanced in BVI and the local population should brace themselves for a complete British takeover of their government and processes, should they not call for, demand and get a complete end to the proceedings,” said a source familiar with how the British government works in the Overseas Territories.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
×