ROADTOWN Tortola, BVI, March 25th 2011 - The Tabloid’s Business Editor Jason Smith and Editor Freeman Rogers, two white Americans, were seeking the judgment in the case for judicial review by the esteemed Permanent Secretary Julian Willock of the Ministry of Communications and Works.

The highly effective Willock was sent on leave last year from his PS post on the only basis of an article in the same tabloid written by another white American Mason Marcus, who according to reports reaching VINO, has ‘skip town’.

The article claimed Willock had persons from one of his companies working without work permits.

Willock, according to VINO’s sources, sought and obtained Judicial Review into the way he was treated by government in sending him on leave on the only basis of the Tabloid report and setting up a committee to investigate the Tabloid’s false allegations. The issue of natural justice was one of his many focuses.

However, Willock and his Attorneys from Farara Kerins, according to VINO’s sources, were able to satisfy the court that there were grounds for Judicial Review.  Justice Rita Joseph-Olivetti agreed with Willock and his Attorneys and handed down her judgment last month in favour of such a review.
 

The article had appeared in the BVI Beacon which led to Mr. Willock being sent on leave.

It is well known that all court judgments according to section 4.1 of the Rules of the Supreme Court 1970, entitles the public to access the documents.  It said; “any person shall, on payment of the prescribed fee, be entitled during office hours to search for, inspect and take a copy of any of the following documents filed in the Registry”.

Therefore, it is very clear that the document could have been obtained without going to court.  Further, Willock’s Attorney had already written to the Registrar of the High Court in a letter obtained by VINO dated March 21, 2011 registering no objections to the local Tabloid, the BVI Beacon from getting the information.

A court officer who spoke on condition of anonymity told VINO that “they very well know that the information could be obtain online so, I am not sure what the motive was for them coming before the judge”.

A search by VINO confirmed that Judge Rita Joseph-Olivetti judgment was online on the OECS Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court some five days after it was handed down making it very much available to the public.

It is unclear why the two Tabloid workers, Rogers and Smith went to court as they could not be reached for comments after repeated calls by VINO.

It was in July of last year the Tabloid wrote in a three page article accusing the highly respected Permanent Secretary Willock of having persons work without work permits, an allegation disputed by the Labour Department. The Labour Department wrote the Tabloid before the libelous article was printed advising them that the company Willock owns had all his work permits in order.

Minister for Communications and Works Julian Fraser RA, and many residents have called for Mr. Willock to return to his post.  Honourable Fraser told the Virgin Islands Parliament last year that the article about Willock was “garbage” and “rubbish”. 

VINO caught up with Willock who said that he was on his way to the airport and had no comments and referred all questions to the Law Firm of Farara Kerins.

Others have said that the article published by the Tabloid about Willock was not only false but politically motivated, outrageous, racist and a weak and deliberate attempt to undermine Willock’s good character as well as his personal and professional integrity.

The owner of the Tabloid, the BVI Beacon is a Russell Harrigan who is an opposition National Democratic Party political activist.

Article taken from Virgin Islands News Online