Patrick Wintour (The Guardian) reviews that the UK intends to impose direct rule on British Virgin Islands as premier Andrew Fahie faces cocaine prices. Wintour writes that, “In an additional twist, the islands’ premier has been arrested in a Miami sting operation on suspicion of drug trafficking.” Liz Truss (proven above) mentioned intervention was crucial ‘to revive the requirements of governance that the folks of the BVI are entitled to’. Extra lately, SkyNews reported that Fahie will plead not responsible to drug trafficking prices, underlining that, “In a shock choice, a US choose dominated Fahie might be launched from custody so long as a big bond was paid and quite a lot of different circumstances had been met.” Listed below are excerpts from The Guardian.
Britain is poised to impose a type of direct rule over the British Virgin Islands after the Caribbean territory’s premier was arrested in Miami on suspicion of drug operating, and a UK-appointed fee of inquiry discovered rampant failings in governance.
Andrew Fahie appeared in federal court docket in Miami on Friday, a day after he was arrested by the US Drug Enforcement Company in an elaborate sting operation that additionally snared the chief government of the BVI port authority and her son. Late on Friday evening it emerged federal prosecutors had charged him with cocaine trafficking and cash laundering conspiracies.
Hours earlier than his court docket look, the fee of inquiry – launched in 2021 – reported on widespread abuses, together with thousands and thousands of {dollars} of presidency funds that had been spent every year by politicians and ministries with out correct course of.
In its extremely crucial remaining report, the fee, led by Choose Sir Gary Hickinbottom, beneficial that the territory ought to have its structure suspended, its elected authorities dissolved and successfully be dominated from London.
The UK overseas secretary, Liz Truss, didn’t instantly impose direct rule however mentioned the report confirmed “clearly that substantial legislative and constitutional change is required to revive the requirements of governance that the folks of the BVI are entitled to”.
The UK is already answerable for defence and overseas coverage within the BVI, which is a British abroad territory, however Governor Basic John Rankin – Queen Elizabeth’s consultant on the island – is now anticipated to take cost of all BVI home coverage and budgets.
The report isn’t immediately linked to Fahie’s dramatic arrest, however the British authorities had been clearly conscious of the US Drug Enforcement Company investigation into drug operating.
After the DEA sting operation on Thursday, British ministers determined to hurry out publication of the Hickinbottom report, short-circuiting a deliberate session process with island politicians.
The UK final imposed direct rule on an abroad territory when it took cost of the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2009, and the British authorities is clearly nervous over how its plans will probably be greeted on the islands.
The UK minister for the abroad territories, Amanda Milling, is now to fly to the BVI for discussions with native officers. [. . .]
See full article at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/29/british-virgin-islands-direct-rule-andrew-fahie-drug-arrest
[Photo above by Wiktor Szymanowicz/Rex/Shutterstock.]
The BVI Fee of Inquiry report is out there at https://bvi.gov.vg/content material/coi-report and downloadable immediately as https://bvi.gov.vg/websites/default/information/assets/coi_report_print_version.pdf.