Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jul 03, 2025

Gov’t granted full participation in COI

Gov’t granted full participation in COI

Not without some level of resistance from the Commission of Inquiry (COI), the government has been granted full participation in COI.

This means the government is permitted to have a representative present during all COI hearings.

This was possible through the capable representation of Attorney General (AG) Dawn Smith who recently appeared before COI during its first hearing.

Below is the government’s statement on being granted full participation:

The Government of the Virgin Islands has successfully applied to the Commission of Inquiry (COI) for all Ministers, Ministries and devolved government entities, including the Cabinet, to have the status of a participant and to be represented in the whole of the Inquiry by the Attorney General, Honourable Dawn Smith, together with counsel Rt. Honourable Sir Geoffrey Cox QC and members of law-firm Withers.

Status as a participant under Section 12 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act allows the Government to be represented at all hearings and will also provide Ministers and Cabinet with a fair opportunity to express their views on matters that are the subject of inquiry by the Commissioner.

The Members of the House of Assembly have been granted similar status and are separately represented.

Following the commencement of hearings of the COI, the Government has reiterated its policy of co-operation and transparency with the COI and welcomes the Commissioner, Sir Gary Hickinbottom’s comments thanking public officers for their hard work and good faith in conducting the extensive disclosure that has resulted in the provision of over 5,000 documents and over 85,000 pages of documents to the Inquiry since March. At the request of the COI, further checks are now being carried out by public officers to ensure that all relevant documents have been gathered and disclosed.

The Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie, as well as other senior Ministers and public officials, have attended hearings of the COI in the last few days to give evidence to the Commissioner, Sir Gary Hickinbottom.

The Government of the Virgin Islands is mindful that the COI does not during this stage of its proceedings wish to give notice to witnesses of the matters and documents on which it intends to ask questions. The Government understands that the COI has decided to hold these first hearings in private so that any sensitive information, such as that affecting national security, can be considered before the transcripts are published.

However, in pursuit of its policy of full cooperation and transparency, the Government of the Virgin Islands has consented to publication of the full transcript of each day of the Inquiry without editing, with a single exception on a matter of national security, thus making available to the BVI public a complete record of the COI’s formal proceedings so far.

Commenting, Premier Andrew A Fahie, said: “I am pleased the Government has been granted full participant status and has the right to be represented at the whole of the Inquiry. From the outset the Government has stated its policy of co-operation and transparency and in keeping with that policy, we have voluntarily answered all requests for hearings and have supplied thousands of documents. This has required considerable effort and has been time-consuming, for which I thank all public officers. The Government continues to do all it can to assist the Commissioner and I am happy that Ministers will soon have the opportunity to present their views to the Inquiry on governance and other important matters.”

The Government of the Virgin Islands is encouraging all citizens, residents and Government employees to cooperate with the COI. The Government’s desire is to see a robust, fair, transparent and balanced process.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
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
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×