Premier Andrew Fahie took a firm stance against disclosing the price of his new security detail as requested by Opposition Leader Marlon Penn on Friday in the House of Assembly.
“It was never an issue until I got security,” Mr. Fahie (R-D1) said, asking that the question — which he described as a sensitive “matter of natural security” — be “vented in a different forum amongst colleagues.”
He also insisted that the expense is merited.
“This is not a matter of where the taxpayers’ money is not hitting the target,” he said. “This is a transparent process and my life is at stake. … I thank the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force and I thank the private security and I don’t apologise for hiring them.”
When Mr. Penn urged him to disclose just the cost of the security, Mr. Fahie said once all HOA members are willing to disclose details of any security measures they have taken, including security cameras installed in their homes, he will gladly come forward in a meeting with them.
After that, he said, he would be willing to come back and publicly state some facts.
Though Mr. Penn tried to press on, Speaker of the House Julian Willock deemed the topic exhausted.
“I’m going to ask that nothing further be added or taken away from what the premier said,” he said.
Mr. Fahie also did not comply with requests to disclose the name of the private security company, the beneficial owner of the company, or when the services commenced.
Since taking office in February, the premier has said, he received three death threats from “some greedy persons in high places.”
“I want to tell those three entities … that you’re not gonna frighten me from doing the business of the people,” he said last month.