Premier Wheatley’s Allegations of Insufficient COI Support Lack Merit: Says Smith

Lorna Smith OBE, dismissed as Deputy Premier by Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley on Wednesday morning, has strongly refuted his allegations of her insufficient support for the administration’s Commission of Inquiry (CoI) obligations, stating they lack merit.

“The Premier in his letter to me cited a lack of support in relation to COI obligations as one of the reasons for my removal. However, if you have followed my work since being sworn in as Minister, it is evident that the accusations hold no merit,” Smith said at her October 23 press conference, held just hours after Wheatley announced via social media that former Virgin Islands Party (VIP) member Julian Fraser had been sworn in as Deputy Premier.

The former Minister for Financial Services, Labour and Trade revealed that she was notified of her dismissal via a letter received around 8 a.m. while she was at work in her office.

Smith, who won the Territorial-At-Large seat with the National Democratic Party (NDP) in the April 2023 elections, previously switched allegiance to give the Virgin Islands Party a majority to form a government.

A composed former First Lady emphasised that her “record speaks for itself,” noting, “under my leadership, my ministry, along with its hard working team, has met all COI deadlines, fulfilling every obligation within the required timeframe.”

“The Premier’s reasoning is simply untrue, and I believe that it is imperative that he be honest with the people about his true motives rather than fabricating baseless claims.”

Wheatley in his public statement thanked Smith for her service, adding that “I do so with a heavy heart. She did not give me the confidence that she would remain with my administration for the duration of this term.”

The head of the territory added: “This is a necessary change to the composition of the government that provides my administration with political stability and a wealth of knowledge and experience which will serve us well over the course of the remainder of this House of Assembly, political stability is critical at this time to ensure we finalise completion of governance reforms, effectively address the recommendations of the mutual evaluation report.”

At the end of August, Governor David Pruce announced that the government had missed the deadline for implementing key reforms outlined in the 2021 Commission of Inquiry Report, which exposed widespread corruption within the administration.

The CoI was initiated by former Governor Augustus Jaspert in January 2021, and a year later, Commissioner Sir Gary Hickinbottom presented a comprehensive 900-page report detailing significant corruption and recommending a partial constitutional suspension to facilitate essential governance reforms.

But Premier Wheatley in August assured the territory that 45 of the 48 proposed reforms had been completed, promising that the remaining changes would be finalised within a week.

Tensions continue regarding the territory’s political future, as the United Kingdom has warned that failure to implement the reforms could lead to the retention of the Order in Council, potentially resulting in a two-year constitutional suspension.

The former Deputy Premier shared that “despite the difficult economic challenges we face, my focus has always been on strengthening our economy while supporting the government in meeting its obligations.”

She made it clear to Premier Wheatley upon switching sides that “I was here to serve the people of the Virgin Islands, not to serve political interests.

“The truth is I have never wavered in my commitment to the Virgin Islands and its people. When I made the decision to join the government, my singular focus was the continued development of our territory. I was transparent about my intentions then, and I remain steadfast in that mission now.”

“It is exactly what I have done up until this point,” Smith said, highlighting several key achievements during her tenure as Minister, including a successful response to the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) mutual evaluation report, the launch of the Financial Services Solution Programme, and the establishment of the First Tomorrow’s Leaders Internship Programme.

She also led a trade mission to Guyana and Asia and co-chaired the UK Overseas Territories Economic Dialogue, the first of its kind.

“My recent efforts, particularly our successful response to the CFATF mutual evaluation report, have been recognised both locally and internationally, and I am proud of what we have achieved together,” Smith said.