Andrew Fahie said he could not be tried for his alleged crimes because he was the elected, constitutional head of government of the British Overseas Territory. The 51-year-old was arrested in Miami, Florida by members of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) posing as Mexican drug traffickers. He was later charged with drug trafficking and money laundering crimes on Saturday. In a criminal complaint, Fahie is referred to as a “little scammer sometimes” by his port manager, Oleanvine Maynard, who was with him at the time of his arrest. Mr Maynard said Fahie would not hesitate to take advantage of a plan drawn up with the help of self-proclaimed Lebanese Hezbollah fighters to smuggle large quantities of cocaine and drugs across the Caribbean island. The arrest shocked the British Virgin Islands, where Fahi is already facing charges of widespread corruption.
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Governor John Rankin, who is the Queen’s representative on the islands, said the legal action prompted him to make public the findings of an investigation into widespread government fraud earlier than expected. The review began in January 2021 and is not related to Fahie’s allegations or his initial arrest. Read more: How US law enforcement stung the premiere of drug research Mr Rankin said the inquiry had concluded that millions of dollars had been spent on projects, some of which were linked to the prime minister’s allies, which had been abandoned or found to be of no public benefit. “Some of them were, in their face, fake,” the governor added. The report concluded that “unless the most urgent and drastic steps are taken, the current situation with elected officials deliberately ignoring the principles of good governance will continue indefinitely,” Rankin said. He also recommended that any new administrative arrangements last for two years, but added that the ministerial government should continue “as soon as possible”. If London accepts the recommendation, Mr Rankin – a British career diplomat – will take over the day-to-day running of the British Virgin Islands.
