Fourteen months ago, federal agents in Miami, Florida arrested former British Virgin Islands (BVI) Premier Andrew Fahie, Port Authority Manager Olean Maynard, and Maynard’s son Kadeem for allegedly plotting to export large amounts of cocaine through the island chain to the U.S. The three were subsequently charged, placed before the courts, and ordered to prepare for trial this summer.
But there has been an important development in recent weeks as Maynard and her son have agreed to plead guilty, become federal witnesses against the former premier, and cop a lighter sentence in exchange. Fahie has already pleaded not guilty.
Left on his own with his defense team, Fahie has now switched his attention to asking the courts to reveal the source of the confidential informant who had been recruited by the feds to compile evidence that the three had been plotting with Mexican drug dealers to allegedly funnel cocaine through ports in the BVI to the U.S.
His trial should have started in mid-July, but his pretrial request for information about the confidential informant has forced a delay. He contends that he needs to know who that person is because that this would help in planning a proper defense against the slew of suspected drug trafficking charges. “The U.S. Government has not yet disclosed the identity of the confidential source. As previously noted, Mr. Fahie contends that he needs the information in order to file certain pre-trial motions. The court, without objection from the government, previously ruled that such motions could be made any time before trial,” said his attorney, Theresa Van Vliet, in court pleadings.
On the other hand, the state is awaiting a court order as to whether the identity of the informant can and will be disclosed. It is also unclear whether that person will be called as a witness in the case. Fahie has asked for a November trial start date as adequate time to prepare, barring any other pre-trial motions either by the feds or the defense.
The trio were arrested by agents posing as Mexican cartel members offering to allegedly use the BVI as a transshipment point for cocaine to the U.S. The agents claimed that the ex-premier had agreed to accept $700,000 in payments as a reward for his cooperation and protection—allegations he has denied. His arrest sent shockwaves throughout the mini archipelago, the wider Caribbean, and in Britain.
Authorities quickly appointed Natalio Wheatley as Fahie’s acting successor even as British Governor John Rankin unveiled the contents of a commission of inquiry report into poor governance practices in the BVI, urging the cabinet to implement a series of recommendations to improve public spending and to improve the checks and balances system for finance and other measures. The implementation phase is still ongoing amid criticism from both London and in the BVI that its pace is way too slow.
Wheatley has since won general elections held in late April, so he now has his own mandate in a multi-party coalition.
The feds say they have many hours of audio recorded conversations with Fahie and the Maynards. The Fahie team says it needs time to wade through these recordings to determine what is on them.
Opposition parties had made much of his arrests and his links to the government in the run-up to the elections, calling for the start of a new era. The electorate thought otherwise and gave Wheatley’s coalition a narrow majority.