London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 22, 2026

BVI Premier Fahie Confident of Commission of Inquiry Vindication

BVI Premier Fahie Confident of Commission of Inquiry Vindication

Premier of the British Virgin Islands Hon. Andrew Fahie is confident that he would be vindicated when the ruling of the Commission of Inquiry is handed down in January.
Premier Fahie, who has been accused by former Governor, Augustus Jaspert of widespread corruption, has vehemently denied the allegation. As a result of Jaspert’s revelation, a sanctioned United Kingdom commission of inquiry was established earlier this year.

The accusations ranged from mismanagement of the British Overseas Territory’s affairs, organized crime, and drug-trafficking.

However, from the onset, Premier Fahie, who is also the finance minister of the BVI, has, in no uncertain terms, rubbished the charges as unfounded and irresponsible.

He asserted that the former British Government representative was careless to have leveled such character-damaging claims, even while failing to use his powers get to the root of the very thing he accused his administration of doing.

Fahie believes that it was a sinister move for Jaspert to scurry to the media to spread what he termed as propaganda, before making an effort to dig into the allegations to prove whether or not they were genuine.

Fahie, as a matter of fact, believes it was the former governor who blatantly displayed scant regard towards fiduciary duties by opening a resource-burdensome commission of inquiry without first considering the debilitating impact it would have on the civil service.

"It poses a heavy challenge on the public officers," Fahie told Politico, further outlining to the publication that the probe's scope has widened to cover virtually every government decision of the past decade. He also accused the British Government of gross overreach.

He said the commission of inquiry all but consumed the entire public service, while yet to prove the existence of government corruption.

The premier elicited that it came as no surprise to him that to date, no specific proof or indication of BVI’s officials’ involvement in such activities has emerged in the public evidence sessions.

Some members of the BVI community, based on the terms of reference of the commission of inquiry, have openly expressed concern that the inquiry commission might recommend a colonial-style power takeover. This they say might mean imposing direct rule from London and husking the territory of its autonomy, which include the right to elect its own government.

The fear is reminiscent of fellow UK overseas territory – the Turks and Caicos Islands - being yanked of its internal powers when it’s constitution was pulled on recommendation of a commission of inquiry. That territory has gone back to internal self-government after a raft of changes by the British.

The UK, in 2009, instituted direct rule on the Turks and Caicos Islands, though the governor, accusing the then government of "a high probability of systematic corruption or serious dishonesty," including receiving kickbacks from investors.

Some members of the BVI community have accused Jaspert of sliding into obscurity after making what they described as such destructive allegations and was now being shielded by the British Government from setting the record straight.

Such sentiment was shared by the premier, who, in an interview with the Guardian, accused Jaspert of not assessing the potential damage his utterance would cause to the people of the territory.

“I find that statement very irresponsible. It is clear from the inquiry there is no evidence to back up what he is saying, and it would be interesting to see if he would be willing to say that outside the protection of the inquiry as a private citizen. In saying that, he did not bear in mind the reputation of the BVI, families, the economy,” Fahie said.

He added: “The key to any country is its reputation, but so far, and thank God for that, there is no evidence provided in the Commission of Inquiry showing that the BVI is corrupt. We have provided them with over 200,000 papers.”

In the meantime, the premier and his government have found an ally in Tory MP and former attorney general, Sir Geoffrey Cox, who, during the Commission of Inquiry, decided to represent the ministers. Sir Cox’s decision to represent the government was not without controversy, as he was brutally criticized by some of his UK Parliamentary colleagues for landing a second job.

But the BVI premier had defended the UK parliamentarian’s decision. According to the Guardian, Fahie praised Cox and his legal team for doing what he described as a great job, asserting that he and his fellow BVI ministers would be rendered blameless.

“Lie has speed, but truth has endurance,” the online newspaper quoted the premier as saying.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Parliamentary Inquiry Highlights Urgent Need to Address Housing Shortage as Scottish Completions Hit Eleven-Year Low
United Kingdom and Singapore Sign Comprehensive Financial Agreement to Deepen Digital and Sustainable Market Ties
Greggs Announces Plan to Close Four Manufacturing Facilities and Cut Seven Hundred and Forty Jobs
International Monetary Fund Raises United Kingdom Economic Growth Forecast While Warning of Inflationary Pressures
Energy Security and Net Zero Committee Urges Government to Shift Policy Costs Onto Gas to Lower Household Bills
Housebuilding Across Scotland Plummets to Eleven-Year Low Despite Government Pledges to Tackle National Housing Emergency
Greggs Announces Factory Closures Across Northern England and Scotland Affecting Seven Hundred Forty Jobs
United Kingdom and Singapore Conclude Eleventh Financial Dialogue in Singapore to Deepen Cooperation on Digital Finance and Capital Markets
Energy Security and Net Zero Committee Urges Government to Shift Policy Costs to Gas Bills and Tap Windfall Profits to Lower Consumer Prices
British Broadcasting Corporation Announces Major Cost-Cutting Overhaul to Close Linear Broadcast Services for Television Channels BBC Three and BBC Scotland Alongside Digital Radio Station BBC Radio Four Extra
London Capital Markets Face Renewed Scrutiny After High-Profile Offerings Underperform Post-Listing
Green Party Wins Historic First Westminster Parliamentary By-Election in Gorton and Denton
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds Unveils Sweeping Regulatory Overhaul for English Water Industry
United Kingdom Health Security Agency Confirms Thirty-Four Cases in Kent Meningitis Outbreak
Ministry of Defence Prepares Heat Pump Subsidy Cuts to Fund Urgent Military Modernization
British and European Union Officials Schedule Long-Awaited Bilateral Leaders Summit for November Twentieth
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Urges Strict Fiscal Credibility to Protect British Bond Markets
United Kingdom Inflation Rises to Three Point One Percent Driven by Escalating Fuel Costs
Profit Warnings Among London-Listed Companies Reach Two-Year High Amid Global Energy Shocks
Chancellor John Healey Signals Targeted Tax Changes on Banks and London Corporate Offices Ahead of Budget
British Government Reallocates Twenty-Five Per Cent of International Climate Finance to Global Biodiversity Projects
Initial British Carbon Border Taxes Set to Undercut Parallel European Union Tariffs on Industrial Imports
Whitehall Prepares National Zero-Interest Loan Initiative to Accelerate Domestic Heat Pump and Solar Adoption
European Union Offers British Automakers Access to Hybrid Vehicle Trade Protections Subject to Strict Regulatory Alignment
British Probation Officers Threaten Widespread Industrial Action After Rejecting Five Per Cent Government Pay Offer
Microsoft Abandons Major British Artificial Intelligence Data Centre Citing Severe National Grid Power Constraints
United Kingdom Inflation Accelerates to Three Point Four Per Cent Ahead of Chancellor John Healey's Inaugural Autumn Budget
Surging Cloned Number Plates Severely Complicate Traffic Enforcement and Police Investigations
Mounting Opposition Challenges Planned Rollout of Autonomous Taxis Across London
Influential Think Tank Urges Rejoining European Union to Navigate Geopolitical Crises
Government Review Recommends Slashing Benefits to Fund Youth Employment Initiatives
Senior Minister Shabana Mahmood Seeks New Law Enforcement Pact With European Union
Airbus Executive Warns Britain Risks Losing Crucial Role in European Space Industry
Exorbitant Electricity Costs Push British Steelmakers to Worst Competitive Position in Three Years
British Food and Beverage Exports to European Union Collapse by Over a Third Since Brexit
Up to Twenty English Maternity Units Face Impending Closure Due to Safety and Staffing Crises
Government Declares Severe Drought Across Southern England Following Record Dry Spell
Corporate Profit Warnings Reach Two-Year High Amid Middle East Conflict and Rising Costs
International Monetary Fund Warns Chancellor John Healey Against Proposed Bank Tax Raid
Northern Ireland Secures Favorable Agricultural Export Agreement with European Union
Scottish Government Approves Major Offshore Floating Wind Farm Near Aberdeenshire
High Speed Two Rail Project Faces Three Billion Pound Cost Escalation on Initial Phase
National Health Service Warns of Winter Capacity Crisis Across English Hospitals
Tata Steel Confirms Two Thousand Job Cuts at Port Talbot to Fund Green Transition
Global Microchip Developer Announces Three Billion Pound Semiconductor Plant in Cambridge
United Kingdom Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Proposes Mandatory Licensing for Generative Models
United Kingdom Commits Additional Long-Range Weapons and Air Defenses to Ukraine
British Chancellor Overhauls Infrastructure Financing to Bypass Borrowing Constraints
Bank of England Holds Benchmark Interest Rate at Four Point Five Percent
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth Confirms Constitutional Discussions Over Welsh Independence During Initial Bilateral Call with Prime Minister
×