Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

The last thing we need is another Breach of Trust charge

The last thing we need is another Breach of Trust charge

The concern over public officers being arrested and charged in the execution of their duties has heightened with legislators now calling for something be done to abate those fears.
Health Minister Marlon Penn made those calls in the wake of a Breach of Trust charge against former Chairman of the National Democratic Party (NDP) Myron Walwyn and Najan Christopher, who has since been sent on leave from the Premier’s Office.

Lawmakers have now taken to pleading with the government to establish Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in order to ease public servants’ fears about being charged with the criminal offence of Breach of Trust.

Unprecedented scrutiny

Penn recently joined Works Minister Kye Rymer in noting that public servants are now more fearful in conducting their duties.

“In terms of the process which our public officers have to operate under, there’s a level of scrutiny like never before,” Penn said.

Penn said legislators have a responsibility to ensure that the process is clear; especially after previously establishing a process under which constituency offices should function. 

“The same has to be true for the way that public officers should do their jobs. There needs to be clear, standard operating procedures under which public officers should function; particularly as it pertains to procurement and the new procurement rules that are going to be put in place,” Penn argued.

Integrity and diligence

According to the lawmaker, the government needs to have a better way of transaction for its workers and ensure that good, hardworking public servants who perform their duties with integrity and diligence are not worried about coming under scrutiny or being brought before the court based on a process. 

“The last thing that we want to hear again is another public officer being charged for Breach of Trust for executing their duties in good faith, based on a policy directly from the government and saying that they’re not following a process,” Penn argued.

Penn said the government has not outlined this process and argued that there is no clear SOP for how the process should be followed.

“There needs to be a process for ensuring that new legislation, new processes and the standing operating procedures are extremely clear so public officers could perform their duties as they go about their daily activity,” he stated. “[This should be implemented] so that persons could work efficiently and effectively in performing their duties without fear of being scrutinised or fear of [it] being said that they’re not performing duties in an upright manner.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
×