Premier pledges Bank of Asia report before House sitting ends

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has committed to laying a report on the government's Bank of Asia deposit before the current House of Assembly sitting concludes, according to remarks he made at a recent press conference.

The Premier said he hopes the Auditor General's report will be ready in time for tabling. "We will lay a report on the table during this House sitting," he said. If the Auditor General's examination is not complete by the end of the sitting, he added, the government will instead present the Internal Audit report.

When asked why the report had not been tabled at an earlier House meeting, Dr Wheatley explained that members had been occupied with other business. He noted that the Auditor General has "just about concluded" her investigation.

The reports relate to a US$5 million government deposit placed with Bank of Asia (BVI), which entered provisional liquidation in May 2025. Dr Wheatley commissioned an internal audit of the transaction, while the Auditor General launched a separate examination.

In May, Governor Daniel Pruce said he had reviewed the Internal Audit report but declined to discuss its contents, noting that the Auditor General's investigation was still ongoing. In July, Dr Wheatley stated he had asked the Deputy Governor to review the Internal Audit report to assess whether public officers were responsible for any deficiencies it identified.