ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Retired police officer and former crown prosecutor in the Virgin Islands (VI) Mr Jefferson J. Knight aka ‘Knight Rider’ is reportedly looking to challenge some alleged constitutional breaches connected to the Commission of Inquiry in the VI, according to information revealed on the ‘Da Morning Braff’ radio show on Tola Radio VI.
Mr Knight, who was a guest on the November 30, 2023, edition of the show said he is someone who is not “indigenous” but has a deep connection to the VI, as he grew up with the people of the VI from a teenager and has appreciated the friendship and love of the people over the years.
CoI Commissioner is not an investigator- Mr Knight
Mr Knight, who revealed that he is also a Belonger, said as a trained prosecutor he has concerns with the CoI recommendations and the appointment of Sir Gary R. Hickinbottom as the Commissioner of the CoI.
He said his biggest concern with the appointment is that it was clear that the Commissioner was appointed by the Governor to inquire into corruption in public offices and not conduct a criminal investigation.
“Now we must understand, right now in the BVI Constitution we have fundamental rights and freedoms and the safeguard of justice and their provisions like in section 12, section 15 and Section 16 of the Constitution to protect the rights of persons accused of a criminal offense, persons who are under investigation for a criminal offense, and persons who are charged or likely to be charged for criminal offense.”
He continued, “Now my concern with the COI recommendation is where the commissioner of the CoI… is making a recommendation to the governor to investigate, to conduct criminal investigations against persons after the CoI. Now Sir Gary was not appointed as a criminal investigator in the BVI to investigate the criminal offense of corruption, because corruption is a criminal offense.”
Corruption is a criminal offense not for CoI- Mr Knight
He added that under the criminal justice system, corruption is a criminal offense, “So if Governor Augustus Jaspert had identified that there is systematic corruption in governance and with our elected public officials and public offices, then Governor Jasper should have appointed a criminal investigator to investigate the criminal offense of corruption, but he did not do that.”
Mr Knight said the use of a Commission of Inquiry means the commissioner was not a criminal investigator to fall in the category of a police officer to conduct criminal investigations in the VI.
He said his move to bring the matter to court is to share his view that the CoI was constitutionally wrong and was rather a ‘setup’ for not appointing a Police to conduct a criminal investigation if the governor believed there was corruption in the VI.
