Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Oct 07, 2025

Integrity in Public Life Act not motivated by a CoI- Deputy Premier

Integrity in Public Life Act not motivated by a CoI- Deputy Premier

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr. Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) has dismissed claims that the Integrity in Public Life Act, 2021, now before the Virgin Islands (VI) House of Assembly (HoA) is because of the UK-Sponsored VI Commission of Inquiry (CoI).

The CoI was launched by embattled ex-Governor Augustus J.U Jaspert as a parting gift to the Fahie administration under sole Commissioner Sir Gary R. Hickinbottom, who is currently preparing his report after months of receiving testimony from present and past legislators, public officers, and residents.

Legislation is a promised delivered - Dr the Hon Wheatley


The CoI is reportedly an investigation into whether corruption exists in the territory and whether unfounded allegations of victimization and intimidation are factual, however, many have suspected the inquiry to be a fishing expedition by the UK Government with the ultimate aim of taking control of the territory.

The Integrity in Public Life Act, 2021, seeks to establish an Integrity Commission which would assist in achieving the Government’s objectives to promote good governance, enhance ethical conduct of public officials and strengthen the prevention and detection of corrupt acts by persons in public life.

According to Dr. Wheatley, “It [the Act] is something that we promised, and it is something that we are delivering, something we campaigned on,” he said during the December 20, 2021, in the virtual session of the House of Assembly.

“Without a shadow of a doubt, these are things which way before anybody know about any kind of Commission of Inquiry (CoI). Now c’mon, these things have been motivated by a CoI? You have not been paying attention, you have been fast asleep,” the Deputy Premier added.

The CoI is reportedly an investigation into whether corruption exists in the territory and whether unfounded allegations of victimization and intimidation are factual, however, many have suspected the inquiry to be a fishing expedition by the UK Government with the ultimate aim of taking control of the territory.


Legislation a director to increase self-determination - Premier


Virgin Islands Premier and Minister for Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) also stated that the Government of the Virgin Islands was not forced to bring the Bill to the House.

“I will make it clear that no one has forced this government to bring any of legislation including the one today."

"No one has insisted, no one has done anything at all to say we had to do it or else, there has been no ultimatum, there has been nothing, other than the Government of the Virgin Islands keeping its solemn promise to the people of the Virgin Islands to move forward with further strengthening good governance by introducing such legislation.”

He said the VI being able to police itself, “is part of the journey of political maturity.”

“This legislation which your government has brought forward is an important milestone for our journey towards increased self-determination whenever our people decide to move in that direction,” the VI’s leader added.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
×