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by pltm
(PLTM) - The United Kingdom (UK)-backed Commission of Inquiry (CoI) has completed evidence gathering which began some six months ago.
The announcement was made by Commissioner of the CoI, Sir Gary Hickinbottom today Friday, October 22.
The topics covered in the oral and public hearings were interests held and declared by members of the House of Assembly and elected ministers, procurement of contracts, leases, appointments to statutory boards, crown lands, belongership, governance, law enforcement and justice system.
“And I have now heard evidence on all of those topics including oral evidence in relation to criticisms that arose from the evidence in relation to them. So, the stage of evidence collection which I began in January is now concluded,” Sir Gary said.
He added, “I am going to proceed on the basis that the elected ministers etc. as is represented by the Attorney General and her IRU [Internal Response Unit] have now disclosed on all documents in relation to these matters as potentially relevant to my terms of reference. And the same applies to members of the House of Assembly who are represented by Silk Legal.”
The Commissioner then went into details setting out the direction for the next stage of the inquiry.
He noted that while the evidence collection stage has been completed, the Attorney General Hon. Dawn Smith has indicated that there is an interest to question former Governor Gus Jaspert and Governor John Rankin at a later stage.
It was also noted that there are some other matters that need to be disclosed to the CoI for which a deadline of October 29 has been given to the AG.
Sir Gary thanked all those who have taken part in the process.
“I would also like to thank the public officers who have borne the brunt of the work in responding to CoI requests and other documentation. I understand and very much appreciate the efforts to which they have gone and also thank the witnesses from whom I have heard, who have made themselves available and, in some instances, repeatedly and often in the midst of other important commitments,” he said.
He also thanked the people of the BVI.
“Finally, I would like to thank the BVI people for their support and their kindness. This CoI was established because of their public welfare, and it is being conducted in their interest. As I said the support and kindness that I have received, and the CoI team have received again, very, very much appreciated. It has been vital,” Sir Gary said.
The CoI was issued on January 19, 2021 to look into whether corruption, abuse of office or other serious dishonesty may have taken place amongst public, elected and statutory officials in recent years; and to make appropriate recommendations as to governance and the operation of the law enforcement and justice systems in the BVI.
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