Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

Hon Penn 'trying to taint & block legitimate assistance' to people - Hon Wheatley

Hon Penn 'trying to taint & block legitimate assistance' to people - Hon Wheatley

Said Opposition Leader only criticising COVID-19 stimulus package 'for the sake of heaping scorn'

Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration, Hon Vincent O. Wheatley, who also has oversight for Social Security in the Virgin Islands, has fired back at Opposition Leader, Hon Marlon A. Penn for questioning how the Government was able to source money from the Social Security Board (SSB) to fund its $62.9M COVID-19 economic stimulus plan.

"It is clear, firstly, that the plan presented by your Government is indeed a solid plan, and that the Honourable Leader of the Opposition knows this. That is why he tried to claim credit for elements of your Government’s plan," Hon Wheatley said in a statement published this afternoon, June 2, 2020.


Explain SSB 'Grant' funding - Hon Penn

Earlier today, Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) carried an article where the Opposition Leader raised concerns about the SSB money being pumped into the stimulus plan.

"I am; however, concerned that most if not all, of the $62.9M of funding for this plan is coming from our Social Security Board. I am even more concerned that this is being termed a grant," Hon Penn said while questioning the legality of the funds and its long term sustainability.

Hon Wheatley has responded, calling the statement erroneous, misleading and sensational, "unable to find any substantial grounds for criticism of your Government’s solid plan, the Honourable Leader of the Opposition, just for the sake of heaping scorn on your Government’s good work, has opted to go out on a very long, weak limb to question the legality of the issuing of a grant by the SSB."


'A campaign of mischief' - Hon Wheatley

Calling the rant from the Opposition Leader 'a deliberate nature of his campaign of mischief', Hon Wheatley said it is not unprecedented for the VI Government to receive donations towards public projects.

"On a very regular basis, donations are received for projects such as school repairs and purchases of various types of equipment. These donations have come from private individuals, corporate entities and other types of organisations, including the SSB... it is not unusual for the SSB to issue donations. The SSB has been issuing donations for decades."

The Minister pointed to instances in April where the SSB partnered with the local Rotary Clubs to donate $25,000 and raise a total of some $50,000 for the Family Support Network (FSN) and then donated some $500,000 to a public body, the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA), to address needs in the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Is the Honourable Leader of the Opposition saying that the SSB was wrong to make this donation to the needy?," Hon Wheatley questioned while making reference to monies given to FSN.


Opposition Leader has 'short memory'- Hon Penn

Further, Hon Wheatley said on December 19, 2017, the SSB used its funds to purchase shares in the National Bank of the Virgin Islands, while Hon Penn was a member of the then Government.

"Why is the Honourable Leader of the Opposition trying to taint, and block legitimate assistance from reaching the BVI citizenry in their greatest time of need?" Hon Wheatley questioned while accusing the Opposition Leader of having a short memory and asking what agenda Hon Penn was trying to achieve.

"Is it not peculiar that for all these years and all these past donations, all of which were publicised, the Honourable Leader of the Opposition has had no query and no concerns?"

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×