Former BVI Premier wants court to hear evidence about mystery woman
Former Premier Andrew Fahie has rejected a motion by prosecutors to exclude evidence mentioned in his drug and money laundering indictment that concerns a local mystery woman.
The person, who was identified only by the initials RS, allegedly made statements that would be helpful to Fahie when his trial for drug smuggling, money laundering and racketeering begins on January 8, 2024.
Fahie could be sentenced to life imprisonment if convicted of the charges against him.
The mystery woman mentioned in Fahie’s indictment allegedly told his co-accused that Fahie intended to have a man — who turned out to be an informant of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) but was posing as a drug trafficker — arrested once he arrived back in the BVI with ill-gotten funds intended for Fahie.
His co-accused, former Managing Director of the BVI Ports Authority Oleanvine Pickering Maynard, has already pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of a single count of drug smuggling in a plea agreement with prosecutors. She will be the Prosecution’s main witness in Fahie’s trial.
According to information in court documents filed before the trial next month, Fahie’s attorney, Theresa Van Vliet, rejected a motion by prosecutors to exclude evidence given after Fahie and Maynard’s arrest, where the mystery woman had been implicated.
Prosecutors wanted to exclude as ‘inadmissible hearsay’ any of Fahie’s alleged post-arrest statements to law enforcement officials or alleged statements made directly to Maynard post-arrest.
The prosecutors filed a motion to prevent the court from hearing testimony regarding statements made by an individual referred to as ‘RS.’
According to the allegations, ‘RS’ informed Maynard that she had received instructions from Fahie to convey to Maynard that Fahie intended to have the informant arrested upon the arrival of a jet carrying over $700,000 in the BVI. Additionally, Fahie had promised to ensure that the funds were seized.
But Van Vliet said in response to the prosecution’s motion that the defence did not wish to question any witness about post-arrest statements allegedly made by Fahie to Maynard or any law enforcement in the US.
However, she asked that the court reject the Prosecution’s motion about statements to the mystery woman because the statements were not being offered to the court for the truth of the matter but rather for the fact that they were made.
The attorney argued that this evidence is relevant to Fahie’s defence and underlying charges.
Judge Kathleen Williams is expected to make a ruling on the motions soon.
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