Andrew Fahie, the former premier of the British Virgin Islands, found himself at the center of a huge scandal. This inappropriate controversy has reverberated like a thunderclap around the entire territory. His tempestuous relationship with Augustus Jaspert, the previous governor, throws all kinds of additional wrinkles into the drama. His alleged ties to narcotics trafficking only add to the undercurrents of power, corruption and betrayal coursing through this Caribbean territory.
His political journey has been punctuated by scandal. He made his name by this vigorous anti-corruption stance when in opposition throughout the 2010s. He was soon caught up in a scandal over cocaine shipments to Tortola. Each shipment allegedly included three tons of cocaine, posing dire challenges to his credibility and leadership.
During COVID-19, tensions between Fahie and Jaspert grew. It was this escalating conflict that severely strained their relationship, forging the backdrop for the defining drama that was to come. In a public meeting in 2018, Fahie expressed his frustrations with the British government, declaring, “What [the British] have done to us is a disgrace.” This testimony was quite indicative of the rising frustration with outside control over local issues.
Fahie’s ties to reputed criminals made matters worse for the young politician. He kept a strong hand on Roberto Quintero, the man who showed up on Tortola Oct. 16, 2021. His family for years had leased property owned by Fahie’s family to recent stowaway Nyron Erickson. Erickson, a 32-year-old drug trafficker, had been shot dead in Tortola in 2021. The ramifications of these connections had long-lasting effects and soon put a spotlight and scrutiny on Fahie’s leadership.
On January 18, 2022, Fahie blocked Jaspert’s access to the government’s communications department, showcasing the ongoing power struggle between the two leaders. Fahie was captured meeting Maynard at a waterfront restaurant in St. Thomas in March 2022. Their animosities would soon boil over to a dangerous extreme during this charged and hostile encounter. In discussing his premier’s behavior, Maynard remarked, “You see with my premier, he’s a little crook sometimes.”
Fahie’s dealings soon took on a sinister turn when he was indicted for corruption involving grants to houses of worship. These grants had shockingly exceeded the President’s recommended budget with an astounding 662% overage. These revelations led to a national outcry and investigations into his administration’s illegal financial practices.
Last year in April 2022, Fahie flew into Miami. Quintero chauffeured him and one of his daughters to Opa Locka airport. Only weeks earlier—in a meeting arranged by the British government itself—on April 7, 2022—he had welcomed Quintero to his sprawling estate on East End Tortola. The nature of these interactions made it abundantly clear that Fahie’s relationships were more than just casual connections. They indicated increased participation in illegal activities.
Fahie’s buffoonish yet tragic fall from grace culminated with his conviction in 2022. This decisive event signaled the end of his unpopular and controversial rule as premier. Reflecting on the turmoil surrounding his leadership, he lamented, “Commissioner, who has sympathy for when this whole inquiry was launched on me? When my wife and my picture [appeared] in front of marijuana drugs and have the world thinking that the BVI has a premier that’s a drug lord and a drug cartel? Who has sympathy for me?”
His comments give us a powerful view into the steep stakes in his political life. His leadership is still making waves across the BVI. Residents are now left to pick up the pieces of a legacy forged by an administration steeped in scandal.