This was later confirmed by Commissioner of Police, Mr Michael B. Matthews, who said the RVIPF has assumed responsibility of the Premier's security for "some time now."

"We have a policy where for obvious reasons we will not discuss specifics in relation to the security of any individual we are responsible for guarding. I can advise we had a number of officers trained in Close Protection tactics last year and that the RVIPF are solely responsible for the security of the Premier and the Governor," Mr Matthews told VINO on inquiry.

RVIPF Takes control

According to the Commissioner, "As CoP, I have always been responsible for the Premier's security but for a brief period of time we included private security guards working alongside RVIPF officers but they have subsequently been withdrawn leaving just police officers involved," he said.

During the Thursday, April 25, 2019, Second Sitting of the First Session of the Fourth House of Assembly (HoA), Hon Fahie dropped the bombshell news that there had been three major threats of assassination against him, hence the reason for personal bodyguards.

“We have sat down with the Commissioner of Police, we have sat down with private security… and we have made sure that the security that is needed, that will happen as the Premier of this Territory,” he told the House.

Citing the subject as a ‘National Security’ matter, he revealed that Commissioner Matthews had been on the case while noting that given the situation, personal security was necessary, hence the reason for his bodyguards.

Opposition to Premier's private security

The move to hire private security did not sit well with some Opposition Members, including Hon Mark H. Vanterpool (R4).

“Why is this security detail costing us taxpayers millions of dollars and why is this security detail that we have for Honourable Andrew Fahie, the man himself, and not for the position, the Office of the Premier?,” Hon Vanterpool said outside the House of Assembly on July 16, 2019.

Opposition Leader Hon Marlon A. Penn (R8) had also moved to question the security detail of the Premier at a sitting of the House.

“What is the name of the company providing private security to him, the beneficial owner of company, when the services commenced and details of the cost of the services,” Hon Penn asked according to an HoA Order Paper for Third Sitting of the First Session of the Fourth HoA of the Virgin Islands (VI), released, May 14, 2019.

RVIPF was always going to take over- Premier

Questions posited to Premier Fahie today, January 2, 2020, on why the move to have RVIPF takeover his security, he told VINO, "the police were always going to provide the security to the Office of Premier. However, the C.O.P. stated from the inception that his officers needed training in this specialised area. It was agreed that a group of his officers would be selected and sent away to be trained."

According to the Premier, it was agreed that until the officers were trained then a private security company with such specialised capabilities would be contracted.

"That was done with the blessings of the C.O.P. As soon as the C.O.P. confirmed that the selected officers were now trained abroad, then the contract of the competent private security was closed," Hon Fahie further revealed.

RVIPF Officers performing admirably- Hon Fahie

Premier Fahie has since indicated to this news website that all the stages were always known from the inception by all stakeholders and that the trained officers of the RVIPF are now in place and performing admirably.

Further, he said the private contract was only for 6 months.

Malicious Opposition

"The calculation of putting it to 5 Years has no base. Some Opposition Members said that time frame knowing full well that it was malicious especially seeing that we only serve 4-year terms."

"The contract was always for 6 months and it only was allowed until the selected RVIPF Officers were trained," Hon Fahie told Virgin Islands News Online.