Vincent Wheatley: ‘I have better ideas of how to use taxpayers’ money’

(JTV News) — While debating the Internal Audit report on Assistance Grants in the House of Assembly on March 9, Ninth District Representative Vincent Wheatley denied ever occupying an apartment paid for by the British Virgin Islands government, since he was elected in 2019 as a Virgin Islands Party (VIP) candidate.

Wheatley told the House that, recently, he was approached by a resident who asked about the allegation which he immediately denied.

He said he had better ideas of how to use taxpayers’ money than wasting $2,500 on an apartment.

The former Minister for Natural Resources and Labour explained: “When I was first elected, the then Speaker, not this one now, came to me and said, since you live off-island, we are going to get you an apartment [on Tortola], in case you have to stay over. Sometimes the House may run late, so we’ll get you an apartment.

“I said to the Speaker at that time, I say, ‘If this is the way you plan to waste taxpayers money, I absolutely want no part of it’. I said to him, ‘If I have to stay over, I have enough family, friends, or money to rent a hotel room, do not engage me in wasting taxpayers’ money.”

“I don’t even know where it is. Never been there, never seen, I don’t know anything, so please, for the record, I have never been in an apartment down here. I don’t even know where it is. Please do not associate my name with any apartment on Tortola,” Wheatley said.