Former Attorney General (AG) of Virgin Island, Kathleen Quartey Ayensu, a native of Ghana came out in full swing to defend herself after distasteful comments were made against her by Premier Hon. Ralph T. O´Neal earlier this month during a public meeting in East End.
At a press conference with selective media personnel on Thursday at the Moorings, Quartey who vacated the post on June 24, cited firm decisions made by her in 2008, which may have started what is purportedly a bad relationship between her and the Territory´s leader. One such decision was the appointment of a Deputy Governor to office. Qurtery who said that the Premier´s statements caught her off guard, said that requests were made of her as AG, by Premier O´Neal, to entangle herself in the dispute between him and Governor David Pearey in 2008, something she categorically refused to do.
"I say it for the record, that the method employed by the Hon. Premier at that time, the public duration of His Excellency and by extension, the sovereign of this Territory and the call for civil unrest and statements from a legal point of view, may have well bordered on treason, did not sit well with me as AG. I saw no place for me to embroil myself in the ongoing issue...and if it is that this refusal to be drawn to one side of the dispute that has supposedly or became the covert beginning of alleged bad relationship between myself and the Hon. Premier, then so be it. I did my constitutional duty," she said.
A calm and firm Quartey who was accompanied by her lawyer Herbert McKenzie of Orion Law Firm at the press conference, said that from her standpoint, the statements made by the Premier were outrageous, malicious and cast an unfortunate view on her professional and personal integrity, and her tenure as AG for the last three years.
Premier O´Neal during a public meeting held in East End, had stated that it was a waste of money hiring Quartey as AG.
"She was more trouble than anything else and on June 24, I gave a sigh of relief because we were not getting value for money...so thank God...It was so bad my dear people that we in the Cabinet told the Governor that it was better that we pay her out from the end of 2008. Pay her out and get someone else, the country would be better off," the Premier stated.
When asked if she felt that the governing Virgin Islands Party (VIP) wanted to have her as a 'rubber stamp', Quartery said, "Well one would believe that from the recent comments. What else were they looking for? I attended my House of Assembly meetings, I do what I am supposed to do. I attended Cabinet, National Security Council meeting, regardless of who is chairing it."
She said, "...Nowhere is a performing Attorney General required to be nothing but a 'rubber stamp' and if those were the expectations, I am happy to have disappointed. My duty as AG was to uphold the constitution, advise the Government, Governor, liaised with Foreign and Commonwealth Office and such regional and international bodies for the business of the VI."
Quartey also pointed to the year 2008 when the BVI was being evaluated in the business that kept the Territory going, by international authorities in particular the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force. She said that it was critical for the BVI to receive high ratings from that assessment and it did.
She also said that the AG office was the prime contact between the Government and the task force.
Premier O´Neal had also disclosed that it was very costly to interview Quartey. "It cost this Government a lot of money because the delegation that went to England to interview her cost $60,000 for passage and hotel expenses and that is what we were faced with."
However, on Thursday Quartey said that the remark was irresponsible. "...It is fair and correct to say that on the interview panel, three out of the four individuals were recognized internationally within their chosen fields of endeavors for their competence and in that regard, I do not think an apology is owed to anybody, but it is outrageous, particularly for a Minister of Finance to distort the record."
Quartey who said that it was compelling for her to respond to the comments, said that the allegations about value for money is rather unfortunate. She said that at no time in the history of the BVI has 45 laws been passed in one year, but this was the VIP Government's goal in 2008.
She said that the highest number of primary laws passed in a single year was no more than 26, and the least number was 4. She said that they were not passed under her watch.
"So for someone to come up with an agenda like this, it was not quite clear to me what they had in mind and therefore what value they would be receiving in that regard."
Qaurtey also pointed to several occasions when the Government of the day, particularly the Premier, praised her for her work including her work with the assessment of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force.
She said that those statements by the Premier at the public meeting and also at the opening of the Attorney General´s Conference in April, are an attack on the legal profession.
"It´s not just an attack on me personally...during a meeting held in April at a conference, there was an attack on the legal profession - the judges, lawyers, Government lawyers and I think it is important that the Bar recognize this and heed a wakeup call to be vigilant," she warned.
Suing the Premier?
Meanwhile, when asked on whether she has intentions to sue the Premier over the slanderous statements made, Quartey said that she cannot firmly answer that question at this moment.
"Where we go from here, I will not say yes or no. I can only say that time will tell. I bear no malice and if I feel the air is sufficiently cleared, that might determine one course of action. If I feel it´s going to be unnecessary, well actions and engagements that might determine another course of action and there may be other courses of action to open. It's really to get the truth out. I am a person for peace and truth...," she responded.
While noting that she had no intentions of being here on a long term, the former AG said that she was not surprised that they did not offer to renew her contract.
"I alluded to certain acts in 2008 that I did not support and those would not have encouraged me to go forward, but I did make it clear to the Government of the day in December 2009 that I could not serve a full three years again, but I was there to meet their convenience and legislative agenda."
She said that no transition period was done between her and the recently appointed Acting AG, Baba Aziz and this was not by her choice.
The former AG who said that she suffered from shortage of staff, wished the people of the BVI and staff members at the AG office all the best in their future endeavours.
On the other hand, when asked by members of the press about whether she was asked to 'rubber stamp' any decisions on the management at the BVI Electricity Corporation, she said "I would not say about the BVIEC with any particularity, but if you ask a general question, perhaps I was being impressed upon to look at certain matters or take a certain course with certain legislation and I did not think those positions were tenable, but I will not be more specific because this is not the occasion this morning. And I did not come here as the demitting AG to launch a post mortem and attack on the same Government that I was duty bound to work along with."
She refused to answer questions on whether she had advised government not to go ahead with the Biwater contract, "the premier did not refer to biwater in his remarks so let us not go off on a tantrum in this very cordial meeting that we are having here this morning."
In June 2007, Governor Pearey had announced that Quartey was appointed the next Attorney General of the British Virgin Islands. She was sworn in on June 25, 2007.
Following Quartey´s departure, the Governor and the Judicial and Legal Services Commission approved the acting appointment of Aziz to the position of Attorney General, which went into effect on June 24 until further notice.
Aziz acted as Solicitor General from March 8 to April 8, 2010 and as Attorney General on several short stints during the absence of Quartey, while she was on leave or official duties overseas.
