Blyden Expresses Deep Concern Amid Latest Corruption Allegations; Urges Recommitment to Transparency and Accountability

Sen. Marvin Blyden, Senate vice president and chairman of the Committee on Housing, Transportation & Telecommunications, expressed his outrage and concern regarding the recent revelations of corruption by public officials and lamented the impact that misuse of funds or resources has on the public, both in terms of services not delivered and of erosion of public trust.

“Let me state from the outset that I have no comment on any of the specific allegations that have been made, as these are matters that the investigators and the courts will handle,” said Blyden. “However, I must confess that the events of the last couple days, and what they imply about the depths and the breadth of potential abuse, make me angry and embarrassed as a Virgin Islander. It is clear that as a government and as a people, we must take immediate action to not only thoroughly investigate and prosecute present instances of corruption but we must also put the necessary safeguards in place to ensure a more transparent and efficient process moving forward. Even more importantly, we must look at today as a day of reckoning in which we decide, from top to bottom, in the public and the private sectors, to develop a culture of integrity and accountability in the Virgin Islands. When significant numbers of public officials are implicated in wrongdoing, it is not just an indictment of a few individuals. It reflects on our entire society, and it means that as a government and as a people we need to clean up our act.”