The drug bust, which was the largest in BVI history at $250 million, made international headlines and involved a number of serving police officers. The bust also helped to precipitate a Commission of Inquiry (COI) in the territory.

Speaking in the House of Assembly (HOA) recently, Premier Fahie said on the day former governor, Augustus Jaspert and former Commissioner of Police, Michael Matthews called a press conference to announce the drug bust, his government was never informed about the event.

This is despite a national security meeting preceding the press conference that very morning, the Premier claimed.

He said the duo also stated things at the press conference that his government was never informed of at the national security level.

“The largest drug bust and they went down town in terms of the place being a drug-running thing and they painted the BVI totally black,“ the Premier said about comments made during the press conference.

“And when the COI started, I remember in the same Guardian [newspaper] and those newspapers — that the one last governor seemed to have a partner in — released that I was against the drug bust,” the Premier stated.

Why paint us as corrupt?

The Premier said all he was saying at the time, was that the governor is in charge of the police force and should not have painted a negative picture of the BVI in giving the press conference.

“Why paint a picture that we had the largest drug bust and the whole thing is corrupt when you could paint a picture that we have a law enforcement agency that was able to have the largest drug bust ever in the world and promote the strength of your law enforcement agency?” Fahie questioned.

The Premier said it is a point that he has consistently made since that time, including during his evidence before the COI.

The former governor’s position, the Premier felt, meant that he should not have been going into the public domain to paint the BVI in a negative light.

“And if you don’t have proof, stop going out there with this insinuation and accusations and allegations. I’ve continued to tell the last governor that,” Premier Fahie added.