Crime/Police
Former BVI Premier Andrew Fahie Drug Trial Starts
Almost twenty-four months after his apprehension at Miami Airport in the United States, the cocaine smuggling and money laundering trial of former British Virgin Islands Premier Andrew Fahie started on Monday, January 29.
In April 2022, Fahie along with Oleanvine Pickering Maynard, the Managing Director of BVI Ports Authority, and her son, Kadeem Stephan Maynard, were arrested during a sting operation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The trio was charged with conspiring to traffic cocaine and launder money by facilitating the secure passage of substantial quantities of Colombian cocaine through BVI ports destined for Miami.
The Maynard duo entered into an arrangement with federal authorities, pledging to provide testimony against Andrew Fahie.
In November 2023, Kadeem received a federal prison sentence of nearly five years for his involvement in a cocaine trafficking operation. Currently, his mother is in federal custody awaiting her sentencing day in court.
During the court proceedings on Monday, Fahie’s attorney Theresa Van Vliet filed a motion aimed at restricting prosecutors from introducing any evidence extracted from her client’s phone.
She contended that the material in question included personal health information about Fahie’s relatives, which she argued is irrelevant to the case.
Additionally, Van Vliet raised concerns about whether the Government of the British Virgin Islands had been consulted to address and resolve potential confidentiality or privacy issues related to the evidence.
The submitted evidence encompassed correspondence between Fahie and BVI Police Commissioner Mark Collins, as well as Fahie’s assistant and building contractor.
In December 2023, the prosecution submitted a comprehensive list of exhibits, encompassing recordings of phone conversations and meetings involving Fahie and the Maynards.
The prosecution plans to present data extracted from several of Fahie’s devices, such as a Note 10+ mobile phone and a Surface tablet.
Judge Kathleen Williams has not yet rendered a decision on the defence motion.
The prosecution’s case is that Fahie and the Maynards stood to gain millions, with the funds strategically routed through various businesses and bank accounts to obscure their origin.
The criminal complaint affidavit said they engaged in a sequence of meetings during March and April of 2022 with an alleged drug trafficker to finalise the illicit deal.
The affidavit contends that Fahie and Oleanvine Maynard were responsible for obtaining necessary licences, ensuring the concealment of cocaine-laden vessels within BVI ports, and discreetly influencing a potentially troublesome government official.
Discussions reportedly included plans to conduct a trial run involving 3,000 kilograms of cocaine through a BVI port, followed by subsequent shipments of similar quantities once or twice a month over four months.
The alleged compensation for Fahie and O. Maynard was tied to a percentage of the proceeds from the cocaine sales, totaling millions of dollars.
While the Maynards remained in federal custody, in May 2022, Fahie was granted $500,000 bail, a move contested by prosecutors who contended that his release posed a flight risk, coupled with the potential for engaging in illicit activities upon regaining freedom.
The terms of his bail dictated that the former premier remained in Miami, restricted to the leased residence of his two college-aged daughters.
Police are urgently searching for the driver involved in a dramatic hit-and-run collision that left a female pedestrian injured after she was struck and flung into the air along the Dual Carriage Highway Thursday night.
According to the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF), the incident occurred shortly after 8:00 p.m. on February 19, 2026, in the vicinity of Delta Gas Station in Pasea Estate.
Preliminary reports indicate that the woman was crossing the eastbound lane of the roadway when she was struck by a vehicle traveling west to east. Although the driver reportedly attempted to brake, the vehicle was unable to avoid impact. The force of the collision sent the pedestrian airborne before she crashed onto the roadway.
In a troubling development, the vehicle did not stop. Instead, the driver fled the scene immediately after the collision, leaving the injured woman lying on the highway.
Emergency Medical Services responded swiftly and transported the victim to Dr. Orlando Smith Hospital for treatment. Her condition remains unknown at this time.
The RVIPF has launched an active investigation into the hit-and-run and is appealing to members of the public who may have witnessed the incident or have information that could help identify the vehicle or driver involved.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the RVIPF Intelligence Unit at 368-9339 or provide anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers at 800-8477 (TIPS).
Police say further updates will be provided as the investigation continues.
The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, working alongside other law enforcement partners, intercepted a vessel and recovered a quantity of illegal narcotics during a joint operation last night, December 8, police said.
In a brief statement, the RVIPF confirmed that the operation resulted in the seizure of the drugs but did not disclose the type or quantity recovered. Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing and described it as dynamic, noting that additional information will be released as it becomes available.
Premier Hon. Dr. Natalio D. Wheatley criticised Governor Daniel Pruce’s appointment of Richard Ulger as interim acting police commissioner, saying the decision sidestepped the established process and failed to respect the advice of the Police Service Commission.
Speaking during a press conference on Friday, Nov. 21, Wheatley said the Police Service Commission had already submitted a recommendation for a substantive Police Commissioner and that this recommendation is expected to come before the National Security Council soon. The Governor’s decision, he argued, pre-empted that process and created unnecessary tension around a critical public-security appointment.
“In my view, it would have been better to conclude that process before appointing an interim acting commissioner,” Wheatley said. “The Police Service Commission has made a recommendation, and that recommendation should have been allowed to proceed.”
The Premier also noted that Acting Commissioner Jacqueline Vanterpool was returned to her substantive post of Deputy Commissioner after serving as Commissioner for one year. While acknowledging that Governor Pruce acted within his constitutional authority, Wheatley expressed concern about how the authority was used.
“Though the Governor is within his constitutional rights, I am concerned that the way his discretion has been exercised is not in keeping with the modern partnership that the United Kingdom has committed to,” he said. “The process has been poorly handled and does not reflect transparency, good governance, or sensitivity to the legitimate concerns of the people of the Virgin Islands.”
The decision follows a week of public demonstrations, during which residents peacefully protested what they viewed as political overreach. Wheatley said he and his colleagues in the House of Assembly supported the public’s right to assemble. “Persons exercised their democratic right to assemble and peacefully protest,” he said. “We respected and supported that right.”
Wheatley said he raised his concerns directly with Steven Doughty, the United Kingdom Minister for the Overseas Territories, during a call on Wednesday. He added that he has also been in ongoing dialogue with Governor Bruce through Cabinet and the National Security Council.
The Premier linked the controversy to a broader constitutional conversation in the Territory. “The handling of this matter underscores the importance of negotiating a constitution that provides greater democratic accountability to the people of the Virgin Islands,” he said. “This includes devolving more responsibility to the elected government, including responsibility for internal security.”
Wheatley is scheduled to depart the Territory on Friday for the Joint Ministerial Council meetings in London, which he will co-chair in his capacity as President of the Political Council of UK Overseas Territories. The JMC, hosted by Minister Doughty at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, is the highest-level annual forum for dialogue between Overseas Territory leaders and His Majesty’s Government.
This year’s meeting, he said, “forms part of a broader reset in the relationship between the United Kingdom and the Overseas Territories.” The UK Government is expected to introduce a proposed Charter on Engagement, outlining new principles for transparency, communication, and collaboration. Leaders will also discuss bilateral compacts, long-term frameworks designed to strengthen planning and clarify shared priorities between the UK and participating territories.
Throughout the week, Overseas Territory leaders are scheduled to take part in plenary sessions, technical workshops, and political engagements covering security, development, governance, and economic planning. As Chair of the UK Overseas Territories Association, the Virgin Islands will play a central role in shaping collective positions.
Wheatley said he intends to continue voicing the concerns of Virgin Islanders at every level of discussion. “I will continue to engage in respectful dialogue with the Minister for the Overseas Territories and the Governor as we remain steadfast in defense of the security of the people of the Virgin Islands and their democratic rights,” he said.
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