Jurors rejected Fahie’s ‘Jason Bourne’ defence strategy
The legal strategy for former Premier Andrew Fahie involved a risky shot at convincing jurors that he was acting out a real-life version of the fictional CIA spy character, Jason Bourne.
Fahie’s attorney, Theresa Van Vliet, pressed ahead with the Bourne defence despite numerous inconsistencies in the narrative, telling jurors Fahie was concerned that the British didn’t like him and that he secretly agreed to accept hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to unravel a UK government plot to remove him from office as Premier.
Those promised bribes were made to Fahie and his co-accused, former BVI Port Authority Managing Director Oleanvine Maynard, so they could provide safe harbour and unhindered passage for thousands of kilos of cocaine through the BVI that was destined for the United States.
Maynard helped prosecutors show jurors that there was no truth behind Fahie’s Bourne spy character defence, spending hours testifying about secret recordings of Fahie agreeing with the plan and receiving advanced payments to sweeten the deal.
Fahie showed no emotion as all twelve jurors rejected his Bourne strategy and returned guilty verdicts for each of the four counts he faced — conspiracy to import more than five kilograms of cocaine, conspiracy to engage in money laundering, attempted money laundering, and foreign travel in aid of racketeering.
The former Premier was then led away from the courtroom to the Federal Detention Center next door after being ordered by the judge to surrender to prison immediately. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 29 — just one day past the date he was arrested two years ago.
We acknowledge the verdict
Meanwhile, the government released a brief late-night statement, that said it “noted the verdict which was reached” at the end of Fahie’s trial.
“The government and people of the British Virgin Islands respect the role of the court in the administration of justice,” the statement read. “As a jurisdiction, the British Virgin Islands is committed to good governance and upholding the highest standards of integrity in public life.”
The statement ended with an assurance that the government would continue efforts to strengthen relevant systems and institutions of government to ensure the BVI’s integrity is maintained and its international reputation is upheld.
There was also an acknowledgement of the impact of the verdict on Fahie’s family.
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The wheels of justice continue to turn. Let’s learn from this and move forward with honesty and integrity as our compass.
Jason Bourne?! The guy couldn’t build a wall around a school never mind uncover a secret conspiracy by a foreign government! He was too fat from eating steaks to scale the wall too! Enjoy the delights of the cell and your new found friends whilst you realise that the BVI dream of “easy money” and “power” soon bites back!
ur obviously from the UK or some other foreign country because u know nothing about what went on in the BVI
They may be from the UK but they do know something…that Fahie is a criminal and has been found guilty. Blaming the UK will not change a thing!
“Conspiracy to import more than five kilograms of cocaine, conspiracy to engage in money laundering, attempted money laundering, and foreign travel in aid of racketeering”-
Those are serious charges.In life’s decisions. One have to consider and calculate the FUTURE COST of their decisions, Choices, Actions and Friends. Seize the time.
Stop acting like this just now start.
Link:
https://stthomassource.com/content/2022/09/16/feds-have-8000-plus-minutes-of-fahie-case-audio/
“When Albion Hodge posted $500,000 to assist in Fahie’s release in June, the USVI and BVI businessman needed to convince the Florida judge that the money was not obtained by some criminal enterprise. Hodge, who runs a ferry service, stated, without further explanation, that he was not now nor had ever been married to Roxanne Sylvester. Hodge also said he was not the brother of Alvin Hodge — explaining to the court that Hodge was simply a very common BVI surname.
Albion and Alvin Hodge were not strangers, however. In 2002, U.S. and BVI authorities started investigating questionable telecommunications contracts in the construction of the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport.
A new company started by the Hodges, B&A Networking Services, was awarded a telecommunications contract despite the company having no experience or expertise in the field, investigators said. B&A Networking Services used a Banco Popular account in Tortola to collect close to $1.8 million, court records show. It was the same branch in which Sheila Fahie, Andrew Fahie’s wife, worked, investigators said.
Investigators alleged the Road Town branch was a central setting in the scheme.
Andrew Fahie, then the BVI’s 33-year-old Minister of Education and Culture, and his wife allegedly started receiving money from the B&A Network Services account and funneling it to Miami in a way that avoided detection.
Prosecutors said in May 2001, the minister asked B&A Network Services to write a $70,000 check to a company called ADD Services, which was seeking a $50,000 loan. The extra $20,000 was given back to Fahie, according to court documents. ADD Services deposited the check in their Banco Popular account on May 28, 2001, and that same day withdrew $20,000, which was delivered to Fahie, court records show investigators alleged.
A month later, prosecutors said, two more withdrawals of $10,000 came from the ADD Services account and were given to Fahie. In February 2002, he allegedly arranged for Sheila Fahie to give $50,000 to an ADD Services sister company, Crescent, for an investment that benefited an ADD Services official.
While court records don’t explain exactly how the alleged scheme worked, they do show investigators claimed by April 2002, when BVI police started making arrests, that the Fahies were sneaking money to the U.S. mainland.
International travelers to the United States carrying more than $10,000 must list it on their Customs Declaration Form. The Fahies allegedly used couriers to carry $9,000 each, then give it back in Miami. They repeated this in June and also sent themselves money via Western Union, court records show investigators alleged.
In October 2003, the U.S. government started investigating the Fahies for money laundering.
On Jan. 19, 2004, Albion Hodge, Bevis Sylvester, a budget coordinator, Berton Smith, a manager of the BVI government telephone services and Ludwis Allen Wheatley, the BVI’s financial secretary from 1998 until he was suspended from duties in March 2002, were sentenced after they pleaded guilty in a BVI court to deceptive business practices and related crimes. Hodge and Sylvester were sentenced to six months and fined. Wheatley and Smith were sentenced to nine months in prison and fined.
In 2006, Wheatley and associate Wesley Penn lost an appeal to the United Kingdom’s Privy Council of their 2003 corruption convictions related to the airport. Wheatley had awarded contracts to Penn’s P&W Heavy Equipment and Accurate Construction, a company in which Wheatley had an undisclosed interest. It was not clear if P&W was meant to stand for “Penn and Wheatley.”
It was also unclear if the investigation into the Fahies continued, if they were ever arrested before the alleged cocaine-smuggling plot, or if charges were ever leveled against Alvin Hodge, who continued to receive government contracts well after the B&A Network Services incident. A 2008 BVI Auditor General report listed Hodge as being paid $55,871.03 for road paving, fencing, and gut cleaning. The report begins with the motto “Towards Greater Accountability.”
Pickering-Maynard had been the Ports Authority managing director since March 2021 after serving as deputy managing director from 2019. In 2015, she launched her unsuccessful bid to unseat Kedrick Pickering, who represented Tortola’s 7th District. She called herself the candidate for reform and action.
In their evidence against Pickering-Maynard in the alleged cocaine-smuggling plot, U.S. prosecutors quoted an unnamed alleged international drug runner as saying he “owned” her.
In a 2015 campaign post on social media, Pickering-Maynard said what people do behind closed doors represents their authentic selves.
“They say that a person’s true character is expressed in those moments when no one is looking; when they feel comfortable enough to say whatever they want,” she wrote.”
There’s that “B&A” Company name again:
Link:
https://vg.vlex.com/vid/alvin-gregory-hodge-v-793323865
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Mr. Hodge told the Court that he was and still is ‘part of a trucking company called Tattoo’s Trucking’ but he emphasized that he was not a shareholder; that between his mechanical work and his trucking he earned an average of $5,000.00 per month. He was also ‘part of another Company, B & A which does not produce any dividends.’
All of this and dodged jail some 20 years ago while other man dem took the fall. Time longer than twine.
I really hope that this serves as a lesson for all of the young people facing choices of which path to take, in the BVI today.
Now let’s arrest the rest of his ‘team’ in the BVI so we can have a fresh start.
The names have all been disclosed, what is the BVI Royal Police waiting for?!
The fact that S!0w W@nde and his A$$ C!0wn Administration asking for an audit of the VIP party and RS speaks volumes. The governor needs to get involved
How do you account for drug money received in your financial statements? I wonder if anyone in the media has the balls to ask that question to VIP members
Lock his dirty minded MS AWAY!! To his family may God be with your fake a**es!! Set a lies swear you’ll was going to enjoy life! Was moving bold and cocky!! NOT UNDER THE MOST HIGH WATCH!!!
Why aren’t media houses investigating/ questioning the 87k from the drug money used by FAHEY to settle VIP debt. Troubling!
87 mill to cover the VIP govt’s political debts. Dirty money dirty politics. All of them stained.
This is the funniest thing I’ve read all week!
Look nyron bring good looking a** oñ the road u have money you do too head of the snake must go waiting for u. Blue u hold tite
Them say yo killer send to shot the man on the hill
I wonder how much money blue give Thomas to get him out of jail,blue don’t want to go back Trinidad all his cousin down Trinidad don’t get shot up all in them balls and he bring drugs and guns in them pool work pand
@ ?
What does your comment have to do with the article ? Plus, even if it had something to do with the article, the grammar is so off that readers can’t understand a thing you’re saying. So, my advice to you is please write it over or keep off the blogs.
LETS HEAR YOU YOU HOLLER OUT NOW AS YOU DOES HOLLER OUT ON THE UK / CINDY / WALWYN ISLAND PEOPLE ETC .WE ARE WAITING ON YOU YOUR MAJESTY
how much if any of Education’budgetted money went missing while the ex.Premier was in charge? Ever taught about that? Many were skeptical even back then.
Agent Fahie you accepted the drug money and used it on your house?!?
I’m sorry agent fahie that’s out of bounds. You’re fired!
The government acknowledged the verdict
but when he was on bail them drag it out long enough for him to retire and keep tax payers money funding him in jail
He needs to give more of an explanation that two sentences. This man remained the rep for the first district for months following his detention. S!0w W@nde need to account for the moneys paid and also how do they treat his pension following this stain on the BVI’s reputation