UPDATED: Guavaberry Media’s Cindy Rosan asked to leave press conference

By MERRICK ANDREWS, Online News Editor

(JTV News) – Cindy Rosan, the owner and journalist for Guavaberry Media Inc., was asked by police and a senior government information officer to leave a press briefing called by Premier and Minister of Finance Natalio Wheatley on Monday afternoon, Feb. 20.

The Premier was scheduled to report on his recent attendance at the CARICOM meeting in The Bahamas.

However, the Premier left the room moments after arriving and greeting members.

Not long after that, JTV News observed Chief Information Officer Desiree Smith conversing with Rosan.

POLICE INTERVENTION

While seated in the conference room with other members of the media, JTV News’s Cathy Richards quizzed Rosan about the development.

She responded: “He doesn’t want me to sit in press conferences, he doesn’t want me to ask any questions on any platform as it relates to him. I have no legal, anything going on with the Premier. So for them to remove me from this press conference let them call the police and let them show me the GIS policy as it relates to journalists sitting in on press conferences.”

Rosan’s word came to pass, as shortly after, an officer from the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force came and spoke with her. Two other officers stood at the entrance of the conference room.

Rosan did not budge.

“You have to give me just a reason why I can’t sit here, and the reasons are the policy of the GIS, a statement from the court or a judgement from the court. Those are the only reasons you gonna [have to use to] remove me from government offices today,” she said.

Asked again by Richards why isn’t she allowed to stay at the press conference, Rosan said: “Cathy, this thing has been unfolding for a little while, right, where I asked the Premier a few questions in his first press conference for the year. Couple days before I was supposed to join the Tola Radio Media pack, I was advised that the Premier doesn’t want to have any questions for me. I received a message in urgency from his lawyer and I personally knew that it was to stop me from being on any platform that he’s in. But he cannot make that decision. If you want to issue legal proceedings against me or Guavaberry Media you go and you file something in the court. It goes through a process. A case is put forward to the judge, it’s heard and the judge makes a decision. So unless you can give me a court-issued judgement. GIS can issue their policy, unedited — unedited as of the last press conference because I was in the last press conference with the governor — then I am going to sit here. And if they want to remove me then they will have to bring the police and have me arrested so the territory can see how much of a threat Natalio Wheatley is to democracy and free press in the Virgin Islands.”

Rosan said if the cops arrest her, she will not resist.

COMMUNICATION WITH GIS

When asked about her conversation with the GIS head, Rosan said Smith told her to come with her and bring her bag. Rosan said she indicated she preferred to leave her bag.

“She was trying to tell me that the Premier doesn’t want me here,” Rosan said.

The Guavaberry owner said she asked Smith to present a GIS policy, but Rosan told her that the policy hasn’t been updated in a while.

“I said I need to see it as of right now cause if you asking me to leave, I wanna see terms on why you want me to leave,” Rosan said. “I have no issue with the Premier at all.”

Rosan said she has always spoken on democracy, good governance, transparency, and abuse of office.

“Nothing new here,” she noted, “nobody is special when it comes to that.”

She said she has been asking questions on those topics for the last 10 years, ever since she returned to the territory.

About 45 minutes after the 2 p.m. press briefing was to start, all the journalists, including Rosan, walked out.

Rosan expressed gratitutde to the media for their support, saying the Premier should resign.

Responding to the fiasco on Guavaberry’s Facebook page, Rosan wrote: “The Premier of the Virgin Islands is attempting to have Guavaberry Media thrown out of his Press Conference. Guavaberry Media has no legal matters in the Court with the Premier of the Virgin Islands and Cindy Rosan, journalist and owner of Guavaberry Media, has asked GIS to present their policy as it relates to Sanctioning the media, or call the police to have her removed or cancel the press conference.”

A statement from the Premier’s Office by Desiree Smith was also released to the media. It read: “Persons are aware of the press briefing scheduled at 2:00 p.m. today Monday, February 20, 2023.

“Regrettably, we could not bring the press briefing as expected, and we do apologise for this inconvenience.
“In place of the press briefing, Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley was able to report to the public via a press statement to provide the public with an update on his CARICOM meeting attendance.

“The press statement can be viewed on-demand on Facebook @BVIGovernment.”

The Premier eventually updated the nation on his CARICOM trip via broadcast and text.