The Commission of Inquiry was called by controversial former Governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert 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 in the [British] Virgin Islands.

“The Commission of Inquiry is not a good thing in no shape, form, nor fashion. It is a complete undermining of our human rights, it is procedurally undemocratic in its procedure in terms of our values and our own system of government,” Skelton-Cline said.

CoI undermines rights of VI

Speaking on the Thursday, February 16, 2021, edition of the Honestly Speaking show, Mr Skelton-Cline further said the CoI undermines the rights of the people of the Virgin Islands while comparing what happened in previous CoI of similar nature.

Pointing to the last CoI in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Skelton-Cline said that similar to the VI, there was a broad scope where an entire country was labelled corrupt, to literally investigate the country.

“Is the most dictatorial, paternalistic, colonial imperialistic… it's the most undemocratic thing and so I completely disagree with anyone who suggests that somehow this Commission of Inquiry is a good thing,” he said.

Persons who have openly welcomed the move were also criticised for what he described as anti-nationalist remarks against a people are on the path towards greater autonomy.

CoI goes against self-determined future

“I even hear some of the politicians and elected official responses about this Commission of inquiry… about they [are] welcoming this and welcoming that,” he said.

“I mean that's the political, nice song and nuanced thing to say but that cannot be true to who we are as a people, how we have matured over these last 70 years since our own self-governance,” he said.

He called the CoI an aberration to a self-determined people and noted that persons should have the right to choose on issues.

The Commission of Inquiry was called by controversial former Governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert 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 in the [British] Virgin Islands.

Persons who have openly welcomed the Commission of Inquiry have been criticised for what Claude O. Skelton-Cline described as anti-nationalist remarks against a people are on the path towards greater autonomy.