Premier of British Virgin Islands charged with drug trafficking and money laundering crimes | Scoop News

The premier of the British Virgin Islands has been charged within the US with drug trafficking and cash laundering crimes.

Federal prosecutors in Miami have charged Andrew Fahie and two others with cocaine trafficking and cash laundering conspiracies, the US Justice Division has stated.

On Friday, UK International Secretary Liz Truss confirmed the 51-year-old had been arrested in the USA.

Ms Truss stated she was “appalled” by the allegations and an “emergency assembly of the territory’s cupboard” was as a result of be held on Friday.

Fahie was held as a part of an operation led by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), an announcement launched by British Virgin Islands (BVI) governor John Rankin on the time stated.

It comes as an inquiry – not linked to Fahie’s expenses or his preliminary arrest – concluded the BVI ought to have its structure suspended, elected authorities dissolved and successfully be returned to direct rule from London.

Mr Rankin ordered the report back to be carried out to analyze “corruption, abuse of workplace and different severe dishonesty” throughout the British abroad territory’s governance.

He defined that British decide, Gary Hickinbottom, who led the inquiry, had concluded that “drastic and pressing steps” wanted to be taken to cease elected officers from “intentionally ignoring the tenets of fine governance”.

Mr Rankin added: “He notes that the individuals of the BVI deserve higher, and that the UK authorities owes them an obligation to guard them from such abuses and help them to realize their aspirations for self-government as a contemporary democratic state.”

The report advisable any new administrative association ought to final two years however added that ministerial authorities ought to proceed “as quickly as practicable”.

If London accepts the advice, Mr Rankin – a profession British diplomat – would take over the day-to-day operating of the BVI.