‘Rogue’ public officer arrested and charged five months later
The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) has formally charged the “rogue” public officer who reportedly sent a diplomatic note to the United States (US) courts to help free disgraced former Premier, Andrew Fahie.
Najan Christopher was arrested and charged yesterday, October 10, for breach of trust by a public officer and false assumption of authority.
“She was granted bail in the sum of $5,000 to appear before Magistrate’s Court on November 30,” the RVIPF said in brief press statement Tuesday morning.
News of the charges come five months after reports of Christopher’s alleged actions surfaced within the public domain.
The diplomatic note in question purports to endorse Fahie’s notice to the US courts that he is immune from arrest and prosecution.
The letter dated May 3 — which bears the letterhead of the Office of the Premier and is stamped by the International Affairs Secretariat — not only endorses the Premier’s argument for diplomatic immunity but also requests his immediate and unconditional release from US custody.
That immunity argument put forward by his attorney Theresa Van Vliet has since been shot down by US Attorney’s Office.
At the time, Premier Wheatley disavowed the letter and said the contents of the letter regarding “does not reflect the position of the Premier’s Office or the government of the Virgin Islands”.
“It appears that the preparation and sending out of the correspondence were the actions of a rogue public officer who acted without authorisation or the knowledge of myself as Acting Premier or the Permanent Secretary,” Dr Wheatley said in an emergency statement aired on radio and on the government’s official Facebook page.
“She was granted bail in the sum of $5,000 to appear before Magistrate’s Court on November 30,” the RVIPF said in brief press statement Tuesday morning.
News of the charges come five months after reports of Christopher’s alleged actions surfaced within the public domain.
The diplomatic note in question purports to endorse Fahie’s notice to the US courts that he is immune from arrest and prosecution.
The letter dated May 3 — which bears the letterhead of the Office of the Premier and is stamped by the International Affairs Secretariat — not only endorses the Premier’s argument for diplomatic immunity but also requests his immediate and unconditional release from US custody.
That immunity argument put forward by his attorney Theresa Van Vliet has since been shot down by US Attorney’s Office.
At the time, Premier Wheatley disavowed the letter and said the contents of the letter regarding “does not reflect the position of the Premier’s Office or the government of the Virgin Islands”.
“It appears that the preparation and sending out of the correspondence were the actions of a rogue public officer who acted without authorisation or the knowledge of myself as Acting Premier or the Permanent Secretary,” Dr Wheatley said in an emergency statement aired on radio and on the government’s official Facebook page.
