London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 16, 2026

BVI Premier Expressly Denies Drug Involvement

BVI Premier Expressly Denies Drug Involvement

Premier of the British Virgin Islands Hon. Andrew Fahie, has vehemently denied being involved in drug running, while accusing former governor Augustus Jasper of pulling out all the stops to sully not only his name, but also that of the entire British Overseas Territory.
The BVI is now on edge, awaiting the result and recommendation of a commission of inquiry into to accusations of government mismanagement. The result is slated for January 2022.
In addition to being accused of mismanaging the country, Fahie has also been accused of dealing in cocaine trafficking, a charge vigorously dismissed as a witch-hunt hatched by the ex-governor.

The BVI, even before Fahie’s ascendancy to power, has been long tasked with the struggle to shake suspicions that it's becoming a hub for the cocaine trade out of South America. Outside of anecdotes, so far, no one has come up with tangible evidence to suggest the territory has become a drug-trafficking hub.

Outside of one incident in 2020, when 2.35 tonnes of cocaine said to worth about $250 million were discovered, leading to the arrest of a police officer, the country’s accusers were yet to identify a trend.

Fahie has rejected claims of collusion with drug smuggling, accusing ex-governor Jaspert of inciting such allegations.

He said the former governor needed to give the people of the Virgin Islands an apology instead of establishing a smear campaign against him, by slinging mud on the wall, hoping something sticks.

In the meantime, Fahie has a much more favorable view of current governor, John Rankin, over his predecessor. Rankinreports to Overseas Territories Minister Amanda Milling and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, whose Foreign Office is supporting the corruption investigation.

He was quoted by the Caribbean News Global as saying: "The British government has put in place a governor who is responsible in his speech, experienced and respectful in the way he carries out his duties. "That shows a step in the right direction."

The practicing Methodist and former high-school assistant principal, who boasts about playing the organ during Sunday service in the churches on the islands he governs, stated that his government, like others before him, is not perfect, but sees no other administrations committed as his, to reform the public sector and put it on an efficient path.

Fahie concedes there were some “deficiencies” and potential "areas of improvement" in the administration of the BVI. Those, he said, include the frequent awarding of public contracts without open tenders; opaque recruitment policies to public office; and the generally poor state of record-keeping and accountability for official decisions.

However, he hastened to state that his government was making every effort to fill those breaches, pointing to a plethora of reforms set in motion under his watch, including a code of conduct for elected representatives, as well as transparency and freedom of information measures. Those measures, he noted, serve as evidence that he's committed to improving the standing of the country.

Some regional journalists and political commentators believe the real issue for the Fahie administration being forced into the grinder has little or even anything to do with corruption. Some believe the very real issue is one of power and control of the territories.

Some commentators declared that “Jaspert wanted Fahie and his government to take a back seat and let him run the country similar to what had happened in other Overseas Territories such as Turks and Caicos, and when that did not happen a plot to take over the BVI government through a COI was hatched.”

“If left up to Jaspert and Commissioner Gary Hickinbottom, our people would starve,” the Caribbean News Global quoted one of its sources as saying.

A political pundit argued that such constant questioning and interference by the governor was one of the measures that led to a breakdown in the relationship between the governor and Fahie. And as a result, a campaign was launched to smear his administration.

It is the belief of many in the BVI that the commission of inquiry came about because Jaspert having the constitutional upper hand on the premier, detailed a long list of alleged abuses to the foreign secretary who took Jaspert’s word and called for a commission after Fahie rebuffed his attempts at an internal takeover.

Some declared that Fahie or the local government was never asked for their side of the story by the British government or Dominic Raab the foreign secretary before calling a Commission of Inquiry, which they deemed flies in the face of good governance, transparency and fairness. But more importantly against the stated partnership which the UK foreign office espouses with her territories.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Health Unions Warn of Staffing Pressures as Public and Private Pay Growth Diverges
Rockstar Games Faces Tribunal Claims From 23 Former Grand Theft Auto VI Developers
UK Treasury Faces Tighter Budget Constraints as Borrowing Costs and Pension Spending Rise
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Sets Out Ten-Year Plan for Greater Public Oversight of Utilities
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Services and Technology Activity Strengthen
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Leaders Coordinate Push for UK Constitutional Change
Police Tighten Public-Order Measures After Anti-Immigration Protests in Dover and Portsmouth
UK Ministers Pressed for Answers After US Diplomat Accused of Child Abuse Images Leaves Britain
Jaguar Land Rover Pursues NATO Defense Contracts for Defender Vehicles
British Service Member Dies in Road Accident While Deployed in Ukraine
George Osborne Calls for Britain to Rejoin EU Customs Union
Anthropic Chief Dario Amodei Urges Faster UK Action on Advanced AI Risks
UK State Pension Set for 3.9% Rise Under Triple Lock
UK Labour Market Cools as Payrolled Employment Continues to Decline
Reform UK’s £72 Million in Donations Faces Scrutiny Under Proposed Retrospective Funding Rules
UK Doctors Warn Expanded Pharmacy First Scheme Could Put Patients at Risk
British Airlines Cut Short-Haul Capacity as Jet Fuel Costs Rise
UK News Publishers Forecast 40% Search Traffic Drop as AI Overviews Expand
Axel Springer Wins Approval for £575 Million Daily Telegraph Acquisition
London Mayor Sadiq Khan Opposes Heathrow Third Runway Over Climate Targets
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Leaders Hold Summit Seeking Greater Autonomy
UK Energy Price Cap Set to Rise to £1,723 in October
UK Treasury Warns Middle East Conflict Is Threatening Economic Growth
Labour Moves to Retrospectively Cap Overseas Political Donations After Reform UK Funding Surge
HMRC Warns Nearly Seven Million Adults Are Unclear About State Pension Entitlements
UK Parliament Passes Sovereign Grant Reform Before Conference Recess
British Rail Passengers Gain Automatic Right to Switch Operators During Disruptions
Burnham Hosts Downing Street Business Summit as UK Fiscal Pressure Builds
Labour Government Moves to Challenge £72 Million in Reform UK Crypto Donations
UK Advertising Industry Warns Wider Junk Food Rules Could Put £1 Billion in Media Spending at Risk
Cornwall Opens Devolution Talks With UK Government Over Transport and Local Services
UK Parliament Considers Sovereign Grant Reform Setting Royal Funding at £99.9 Million
Trades Union Congress Calls for Income-Based Energy Tariff Funded by Higher Bank Levy
UK Prime Minister Rejects Second Scottish Independence Referendum
House of Lords Begins Scrutiny of Bill to Lower UK Voting Age to 16
Anthropic Says Claude Was Exploited in Weapons-Related and State-Linked Cyber Activity
Institute of Directors Urges UK Government to Avoid Business Tax Increases in Autumn Budget
Rising Gilt Yields Cut UK Fiscal Headroom to About £13 Billion Ahead of Budget
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Services and Technology Activity Strengthen
UK Government Promises Clearer Student Loan Guidance After Repayment Backlash
Charities Warn Unpaid Carers May Die Before Receiving Government Compensation
Dover Unrest Prompts Review of UK Counter-Extremism Strategy
Celtic Summit Leaders Reassert Right to Pursue Independence From UK
NHS Records Busiest Summer on Record Amid Severe Heatwaves
Harrods Faces Potential £150 Million Compensation Bill Over Al Fayed Abuse Claims
UK Parliament Opens Debate on Landmark Assisted Dying Legislation
Metropolitan Police Investigate Reform UK Over Alleged Foreign Electoral Donations
UK Economy Expands 0.4% in July as AI Investment Boosts Activity
Bank of England Signals Caution on Rates as Inflation Pressures Persist
Tesco Alerts Police After Scammers Use Its Branding in AI-Generated Fraud
×