The Prime Minister of the British Virgin Islands has demanded his immediate release from custody in the United States, claiming he has been immune from prosecution on drug trafficking charges.
Andrew Fahi said he could not be tried for alleged crimes because he was elected constitutional head of government in the British Overseas Territory.
The 51-year-old was arrested in Miami, Florida, by members of the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) posing as Mexican drug traffickers.
He was later charged with drug trafficking and money laundering on Saturday.
In a criminal complaint, Fahi was called “sometimes a little crook” by his port director, Ollian Maynard, who was with him at the time of his arrest.
Mr Maynard said Fahi would not hesitate to take advantage of a plan drawn up with the help of self-proclaimed Lebanese Hezbollah fighters to smuggle large quantities of cocaine and drug proceeds across the Caribbean.
The arrest shocked the British Virgin Islands, where Fahie is already facing charges of widespread corruption.
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Gov. John Rankin, a spokeswoman for the Queen of the Isles, said the lawsuit prompted him to announce findings from an investigation into widespread government fraud earlier than expected.
The review began in January 2021 and is not related to Fahie’s charges or his initial arrest.
Read more: How US law enforcement agencies stung the prime minister in a drug investigation
Mr Rankin said the investigation had concluded that millions of dollars had been spent on projects, some of which were linked to the prime minister’s allies, which had been abandoned or found to be of no public benefit.
“Some of them were fake,” the governor added.
The report concludes that “unless the most urgent and drastic steps are taken, the current situation with elected officials deliberately disregarding the principles of good governance will continue indefinitely,” Mr Rankin said.
He also recommended that each new administrative agreement last two years, but added that the ministerial government should continue “as long as possible”.
If London accepts the recommendation, Mr Rankin, a British career diplomat, will take over the day-to-day management of the British Virgin Islands.
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