Still no Withers Law report on COI! Malone concerned
Territorial-At-Large Representative Carvin Malone said he will bring forth several issues to the next sitting of the House of Assembly including the need for the report by Withers Law Firm on the Commission of Inquiry (COI) hearing.
In a recent interview on JTV 55 News, Malone noted that the law firm had defended the government well during the hearing, but the government paid a lot of money for their representation and is yet to receive a report which was part of the agreed terms.
Withers Law Firm was contracted by the BVI government to represent Cabinet members during the COI hearing last year.
“We need to know that we spent millions of dollars to the law firm of Withers who engaged Jeffrey Cox, to produce a report, a parallel report to see if the findings of the COI were equal to Withers. They have gathered all the materials and they defended us well during the COI and the only thing missing in the report. We paid for the report, and we need the report,” Malone said.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley had previously noted the legal fees paid to Withers law firm were initially pegged at $2,437,751.50 but the law firm was later paid a further sum of $4,689,531.52 in legal fees for the three-month extended period of the COI.
Meanwhile, the Opposition legislator also said he will not simply put to rest the issue regarding the intent behind the controversial “Policing in Paradise” leaked to the public recently.
“I would seek to address several issues because we have concerns being raised on the derogatory remarks that were placed in a particular film by the Commissioner of Police. The Commissioner cannot investigate himself. We need to know if anything more was to this that was more than a recruitment video,” Malone said.
Withers Law Firm was contracted by the BVI government to represent Cabinet members during the COI hearing last year.
“We need to know that we spent millions of dollars to the law firm of Withers who engaged Jeffrey Cox, to produce a report, a parallel report to see if the findings of the COI were equal to Withers. They have gathered all the materials and they defended us well during the COI and the only thing missing in the report. We paid for the report, and we need the report,” Malone said.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley had previously noted the legal fees paid to Withers law firm were initially pegged at $2,437,751.50 but the law firm was later paid a further sum of $4,689,531.52 in legal fees for the three-month extended period of the COI.
Meanwhile, the Opposition legislator also said he will not simply put to rest the issue regarding the intent behind the controversial “Policing in Paradise” leaked to the public recently.
“I would seek to address several issues because we have concerns being raised on the derogatory remarks that were placed in a particular film by the Commissioner of Police. The Commissioner cannot investigate himself. We need to know if anything more was to this that was more than a recruitment video,” Malone said.
