British Virgin Islands' PM granted bail in Miami
The judge disputes prosecutors' argument that Andrew Fahie, who was nabbed in a DEA cocaine bust, would flee the country if released from prison.
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British Virgin Islands' premier, Andrew Fahie.
The British Virgin Islands' premier, Andrew Fahie, whom US prosecutors branded in court as "corrupt to the core," has been granted a $500,000 bond, allowing him to be released from prison while awaiting trial on charges related to a US narcotics sting.
Alicia Otazo-Reyes, a federal court judge, dismissed prosecutors' contention that if Andrew Fahie is released, he will escape the country and likely participate in criminal activities.
Instead, she decided on Wednesday that he could stay in Miami and be confined to the rented apartment of his two daughters if he and his family surrender their passports and he wears an ankle bracelet monitor, in addition to paying a sizable corporate surety bond.
The government would appeal the decision, according to Assistant US Attorney Frederic Shadley, and it was unclear when Fahie would be released.
Read more: Acting PM of Virgin Islands slams UK decision as "draconian measure"
Fahie, 51, was detained last week at a Miami airport during a US Drug Enforcement Administration sting after reportedly being offered $700,000 in cash that was to be transported back to the British Virgin Islands on Fahie's behalf aboard a private plane. Oleanvine Maynard, his port director, was also arrested.
As Shadley told the court that the politician boasted in taped discussions with a DEA informant that this "wasn't my first rodeo" with criminals, Fahie stood tied, shaking his head in disbelief.
According to court documents, a DEA informant posing as a member of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel met with Fahie, Maynard, and Maynard's son on several occasions to discuss a deal that would transport thousands of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Puerto Rico, Miami, and New York via the British Virgin Islands.
Fahie and his co-defendants allegedly agreed to provide safe passage for the drug shipments and build a network of shell businesses to launder the earnings in exchange for bribes and 10% – or nearly $7.8m – for each 3,000kg load of cocaine sold in Miami.
'Not guilty'
Theresa Van Vliet, Fahie's attorney, refuted that portrayal, saying her client will plead not guilty when he is arraigned later this month.
She claimed that because the British Virgin Islands is a British overseas territory, US courts do not have jurisdiction over Fahie.
She filed a "diplomatic note" signed by an anonymous official from the premier's office in Road Town asking for his "immediate and unconditional release" to back up her claim. The request was forwarded to the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs.
However, Fahie's old allies appear to have disavowed the letter.
The interim premier, Natalio Wheatley, said in a brief statement on Wednesday that the letter was issued in error by a "rogue" official and "does not reflect the position of the premier's office or the government of the [British] Virgin Islands."
Even before his detention, Fahie was under investigation by a special committee of inquiry led by the United Kingdom into wrongdoing on the islands.
If convicted, Fahie faces a minimum of nearly 20 years in prison.
