Premier Dr. the Honourable has admitted that his support of Claude Skelton Cline’s contracts under the Andrew Fahie-led Virgin Islands Party Government from the period March 2019 to September 2021 was a mistake.
Premier Wheatley’s comment came during the debate stage of the Auditor General’s Special Report on Clines contracts, which was laid before the House of Assembly on Tuesday.
The report highlighted several failed areas of Cline’s contracts during his more than two years of employment and concluded that the purpose of his consultancy was not to add value to the government but rather to provide employment for Cline.
Premier Wheatley said the only way for the territory to grow moving forward is for elected officials to assess themselves by being harshly truthful.
Being honest is a quality that the premier believes lies within Cline, as he is popularly known for his radio talk show programme “Honestly Speaking”.
While stating that some of the Auditor General reports have had questionable conclusions, Premier Wheatley agreed with her conclusion on Cline’s contract, stating that it was relatively straightforward.
According to the Auditor General’s report, Cline received a total of $365,650 from the three contracts over the more than two-year period.