Former BVI Premier signs extradition waiver ahead of trial
TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands (CMC) – Former Premier of the British Virgin Islands, Andrew Fahie has signed an extradition waiver that prevents him from remaining in another country if he takes flight while out on bond ahead of his trial next month.
The extradition waiver was part of the conditions of Fahie’s modified bail bond, which amounted to US $1,000,000, and was divided into two parts. The first part is a US$500,000 corporate security bond that was recently facilitated by his close associate and childhood friend, Albion ‘Bobby’ Hodge, before he was allowed to leave custody.
The second is a US$500,000 personal surety bond to be co-signed by Fahie, his daughter, and a friend as part of Fahie’s pre-trial freedom conditions.
The extradition waiver states in part that if Fahie were to flee to any country apart from the United States or its territories, the government may seek his return through an extradition process or any other means for the purpose of trial or, if convicted, sentencing or service of sentence.
The waiver was signed on June 13 and submitted to the court by his attorney, Theresa Van Vliet, the following day.
According to the document, Fahie said that signing the waiver is a condition of bail and noted that it was not his intent to flee the jurisdiction.
The former Premier also noted that he “knowingly and intelligently waives any and all rights he might have to challenge any order of expulsion or deportation from any country” from which the United States requests his return for the purpose of submitting to legal processes in connection with his case.
Fahie, who was arrested on April 28 at the Miami-Opa Locka airport following a sting operation related to drug smuggling and money laundering, is scheduled to face trial on July 18 before US District Judge Kathleen Williams.
Fahie’s co-accused, former BVI Ports Authority Director Oleanvine Maynard, and her son Kadeem were arrested on the same day on similar charges as part of the same Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) sting operation.
Oleanvine was nabbed in Miami while her son was arrested in St Thomas, in the United States Virgin Islands.
