This comes as the Attorney General (AG) of the Virgin Islands (VI), Hon Dawn J. Smith, has blasted the CoI for what she called a ‘misleading and damaging impression’ portrait by the CoI team against the Government and a sitting Minister.

In a September 30, 2021, letter to the Commissioner, Hon Smith raised issues about the September 28, 2021, Hearing where Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration, Hon Vincent O. Wheatley (R9) was questioned on the granting of Belongership status based on contents of the Minutes of a Cabinet meeting.

The AG disclosed that no permission was granted from Cabinet for the Minutes to be made public, in addition to the Minister having had no advance warning that he would be questioned in relation to the Minutes.

Respecting VI's sacred rights

Skelton-Cline, in reaction to the reported violation, questioned whether there is anything in the VI left sacred regarding the rights of the people and its government.

“If there is nothing sacred in this country politically such as the Minutes of Cabinet, the highest decision-making body in our land, then what are we left with?

“What do we really have if anything can be said at any time in the public space without regards for the privacy, for the confidentiality, for the protection of individual rights?” he asked.

The CoI, which is yet to respond to inquiries made by the AG on how it got to disclose the Minutes, has so far now come under heavy criticism for tactics that mislead the public and unfairly blindsided the Minister.

The AG said Hon Wheatley after being grilled with questions such as, ‘how is it that you cannot remember if you granted a rapist Belonger status or not?" never got an opportunity to fact-check the question to know that the individuals had either not been granted Belonger Status or were not under consideration for Belonger Status at the time.

“This means that a false impression has been created (as can be seen in social media posts on this subject) that these persons have indeed been granted Belonger Status by the current Government,” Hon Smith said in her letter.

Context of Cabinet meetings not revealed- Skelton-Cline

According to Skelton-Cline, the issues of the Belonger status has also been on the books since 2011, “But none of that was set down in its contextual form, and particularly in that forum and hence the reason the Attorney General, as I understand it, has now raised the issue to correct the impression left.”

ZBVI 780am radio talk show host Clause O. Skelton-Cline has lambasted the UK-Sponsored Virgin Islands (VI) Commission of Inquiry (CoI) for what he said was a violation of the VI’s sacred rights as a self-determined people when the CoI team revealed contents of Cabinet Minutes without reportedly seeking permission.

The Attorney General (AG) of the Virgin Islands (VI) House of Assembly, Hon Dawn J. Smith, left, has blasted the UK-sponsored Virgin Islands Commission of Inquiry for what she called a ‘misleading and damaging impression’ portrait by the CoI team against the Government and a sitting Minister. Right is CoI Commissioner Gar R. Hickinbottom.