Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

VI Premier maintains he ‘unequivocally’ never slept on Antigua airport floor

VI Premier maintains he ‘unequivocally’ never slept on Antigua airport floor

Despite clarifying that he never slept on the airport floor as a result of a flight delay in Antigua, Virgin Islands Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) is being accused of discrediting a local media house, specifically Guavaberry Media Inc operated by Rosemary Cindy Rosan.

During his press conference on Monday, January 23, 2023, Premier Wheatley said he had to virtually engage students and citizens who attended a townhall and luncheon at BVI London House from a hotel in Antigua and Barbuda due to his flight to the UK being grounded.

Guavaberry Media accuses Premier of lying

Guavaberry Media Inc in a Facebook post last evening, January 23, 2023, said eyewitnesses remain adamant on information shared with its newsroom, "Persons in attendance at the planned Lunch on Sunday, January 15th, at the BVI London House, are also standing by the comments they heard the Premier make, while addressing the attendees - 'it’s been a while since the last time I slept on an airport floor,'” it said.

The media entity had first said the incident was an embarrassment to the VI and its leader; however, the Premier continued to maintain the incident never happened.

“As I said in my statement, we had a flight due to leave for the United Kingdom. So I think it was somewhere around 8:40 [pm] we were supposed to leave, but very close to midnight, the flight still had not taken off. We actually had boarded the plane, we had to deplane and at that point, of course, it was clear that the plane would not be taking off.”


A post on Facebook by the controversial Rosemary Cindy Rosan that Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) slept on the floor at the VC Bird International Airport in Antigua has already been labelled as fake by the Government of the Virgin Islands.

'I did not sleep on the floor of the airport'

The Premier detailed that officials from the airport said they were going to find accommodations, however, due to two or three other flights also having delays, the hotels were booked and the delegation was told to remain at the airport.

"So we were advised to wait in the airport until a hotel became available and when the hotel became available we went to the hotel and then we were able to engage the BVI London Office through a virtual call and, of course, later in that day we were able to catch a plane and go to the United Kingdom,” he said.

“Let me just say, unequivocally and without a shadow of a doubt, I did not sleep on the floor of the airport. And I think it's again, reckless, it's inaccurate and it's misleading and the story also I would say unfairly has a negative focus on my support team.

The Premier recognised the work of his Permanent Secretary and others for their efforts to make sure he was comfortable as possible and that the overall trip went as planned.

“The entire trip went very smoothly, of course, that incident was unavoidable and we made the best out of the situation that existed and I’m grateful for the concern that persons have shared listening [and] receiving that report but certainly that report should be discarded, the one from Guavaberry Media should be discarded because it's inaccurate and misleading,” he said.

It is not the first time Rosan, a fierce critic of Premier Wheatley, has been accused by the Premier of practising reckless journalism to portray him in a negative light.

She recently accused him of having an "inappropriate" relationship with two media persons who were recently hired by Government.

It is unclear whether the Premier is pursuing legal action on either of the two most recent allegations made against him by Rosan.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
×