British Virgin Islands Prime Minister Andrew Fahie and Caribbean archipelago port manager Oleanvine Maynard appear before a US judge on drug trafficking and money laundering charges a day after they were arrested on Friday (October 29). Miami.
At the hearing, held via videoconference, judge Jonatha Godman read the charges against two employees: conspiracy to import five kilos or more of cocaine into the United States, and conspiracy to launder money.
Fahie, 51, and Maynard, 60, appeared in a small courtroom, along with four other inmates, all wearing masks.
Two employees were arrested on Thursday at the Opa-locka airport in Miami, Florida, as a result of an operation launched in October by the US anti-drug agency DEA.
According to court documents, a DEA agent contacted the defendant, who posed as a member of the Mexican Sinaloa cartel, which needed help transporting thousands of pounds of drugs from Colombia to Miami and New York via Tortola, the largest in the British Virgin Islands.
The Prime Minister and Maynard agreed to help the undercover agent in exchange for 12% of the money from the sale of drugs in the United States and an upfront payment of $700,000.
On Thursday, Fahie and Maynard separately arrived at Opa-locka airport with the DEA agent to confirm that $700,000 was on a flight to the British Virgin Islands. The two suspects were arrested a short time later.
According to court documents, Fahie told the DEA member the previous day that she “believes in witches, magic, and how to read people’s lies.”
In another city, police arrested the port manager’s son, Kadeem Maynard, for his role in the story.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Thursday she was “serious about these allegations”.
Home to 25,000 people, the British Virgin Islands is a British overseas territory located east of Puerto Rico. London oversees its defense and foreign policy, and Queen Elizabeth II. Elizabeth appoints her governor on the advice of the English Administrator.
The archipelago is considered one of the main tax havens in the world.
Shortly before Fahie’s appearance, Governor John Rankin’s office released a report that was conducted following an investigation into executive corruption.
The document, written by a British judge, recommends that the region’s self-government be suspended so that London can resolve mismanagement in the archipelago.
“In almost all areas[of the region]principles of good governance such as openness, transparency and even the rule of law are ignored,” said the report, which is unrelated to the drug trafficking charge.
source: Noticias
