
“The Report seems to make the assumption that the HMS Medway could have solved all our border security challenges,” Dr Wheatley stated during the debate on the Report of the Auditor General on the COVID-19 Border Security Contracts for Static Marine Platforms at the Third Sitting of the Fifth Session of the Fourth House of Assembly in Road Town on February 21, 2023.
According to the Auditor General, Opposition was raised to HMS Medway’s presence by the then Premier Andrew A. Fahie, who she said referred to it as a “military intervention.”
This was confirmed by Dr Wheatley, who added that HMS Medway is usually in the region at specified times. “They don’t stay here forever, they move around to different countries and territories, and they were here for a limited period of time.”
The Premier declared that he is grateful for the support of HMS Medway and any other ship from the United Kingdom or any other country coming to help the territory after a hurricane or just to be on guard in the event of a hurricane, to offer humanitarian support, or support in preventing drug trafficking, human trafficking, and gun smuggling.
Premier Natalio D. Wheatley, right, said
the Report by Auditor General Sonia M. Webster, left, only sought to
tear apart the argument for the barges, and did not include the positive
areas of the platform.
The debate on the Report of the Auditor
General on the COVID-19 Border Security Contracts for Static Marine
Platforms began at the Third Sitting of the Fifth Session of the Fourth
House of Assembly in Road Town on February 21, 2023.