Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Nervous Wait For BVI Commission Report

Nervous Wait For BVI Commission Report

Many British Virgin Islanders are nervous as they anxiously await the result and recommendation of the recently held Commission of Inquiry that seeks to paint the Fahie Administration as not fit for office.
The long-awaited Commission of Inquiry Report, initially scheduled to release in January 2022, suffered a three-month setback.

The Commission gave the reason for delaying the publication of the report as that it could not decide which parts of the “sensitive documents” to be redacted.

The sentiment of BVIslanders fearing a direct rule from Britain, through the governor is causing a great deal of uneasiness among the populace. Many are hoping that the findings and recommendations do not lead to the decision of the Constitution being pulled and direct rule instituted.

The Turks and Caicos Islands, a fellow British Overseas Territory suffered a similar faith, when the 2008 Commission of Inquiry recommended that the elected Michael Misick government be booted from office, and an interim administration set-up by the British, took over the reins of the country.

During the period, a new constitution was established that gave the governor reserve powers, he could use to override any decision taken by cabinet, if he deemed that the government’s decision was not in the best interest of the country.

The Turks and Caicos Islands returned to self rule, more than four years after direct rule was instituted. The return to local governance was not without much protests by a wide cross-section of the country, which included pastors.

Premier Andew Fahie, during the Commission of Inquiry, and after the hearing ended, accused the governor of constitutional overreach, while denying specific allegations of impropriety.

During the commission of inquiry, the premier was adamant that he would clear the country’s name, saying that no member of his administration benefitted financially or otherwise from any issued contracts or any other government expenditure.

“None of it (public funds) went to our pockets, none of it went to any family and friends,” Fahie told the commission of inquiry at the time.

Fahie also used his time at the commission of inquiry to condemn Britain’s history as a slaver, asking why there was no commission of inquiry into reparations or the Windrush scandal.

Many islanders are of the view that the commission of inquiry was at best “a subversive activity against the human rights of the islanders,” and its “illegal activities.”

The commission of inquiry has also been dismissed as many Islanders as another “cynical instance of those with the really dirty hands pointing the finger at others.”

Many are not confident that the recommendations would return with any other verdict other than corruption in the Fahie administration.

“…The final conclusion of the COI will be that there is corruption in the BVI government, since that was the outcome that had been pre-determined even before they began gathering evidence,” writes a BVI political commentator.

Some of the residents, who claimed that the commission of inquiry was a slap in the face of the people of the Virgin Islands, recommended in hindsight that the British investigators should have been arrested as soon as they set foot on the county’s soil, and then dragged before the courts and tried for an attempted coup of a democratically elected government.

However, there are some British Virgin Islanders who commend the Fahie administration for not being rash, but while vehemently denying the charges against the government, cooperated with the commission of inquiry.

“I believe that trying to stop the COI would, in the minds of many, exhibit guilt. So, I would not fault him for cooperating, even though if he had tried to stop it, he would have been well within his rights as a democratically elected government, who the people went to the polls and chose,” said another local political pundit.

According to some political commentators, the wait for the commission of inquiry results has placed the BVI in a spin of uncertainty, which they believe is bad for investment, especially foreign ones.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
×