LEGISLATOR INVESTIGATED FOR ALLEGED MONEY LAUNDERING

Former Minister of Education and Culture, now opposition Member of the Legislative Council Honourable Andrew Fahie has denied any wrongdoing in connection with allegations that he is being investigated for money laundering with respect to the airport telecommunications contract conspiracy trial.

A report published in the international finance newsletter Offshore Alert (issue 81 released October 31st, 2003), published by KYC News, Inc., Miami Florida, said a United States federal court has granted a request for judicial assistance regarding a criminal investigation into Mr. Fahie, 33, and his wife Sheila, 36 - a bank employee.

“The Fahies are suspected of helping to launder tens of thousands of dollars gained through theft and fraud involving a government contract to build a new terminal and lengthen the runway at the renamed Terrance B. Lettsome Airport at Beef Island,” according to an MLAT (Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty) request at the U.S District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.

“Offshore Alert” went on to state that: “On October 8th, 2003, the court granted an application made two days earlier for court appointed Commissioner James M. Sullivan, on behalf of BVI authorities, to examine any accounts and records at the Bank of America, Metrolina Commercial Regions Nations Banks in Charlotte, North Carolina that are connected to the Fahies; obtain records held by Western Union of all transactions in relation to the transfer of money between any person from Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands or Charlotte Amalie, US Virgin Islands, to or for the benefit of Andrew Fahie and/or Sheila Fahie (Sheila Fannie, Sheila Romney, Sheila Forbes) using Western Union and identify any other transactions where money has been sent to the above in the United States of America for the period May 2001 to the present and allow Detective Inspector R. Wishart, a U.K. policeman attached to the FBI White Collar Crime Investigation Team in Miami, Florida, to be present during the investigation and make copies of documents.”

According to investigators, the men involved in the airport telecommunications contract opened an account in the name of B & A Network Services Ltd. at the Road Town, Tortola branch of Banco Popular where Sheila Fahie worked, “Offshore Alert” stated.

It is alleged that some of the withdrawals from that account bore no relation to their business and appear to have no other purpose but to conceal the beneficiaries of the money.

“For example,” the article stated, “it was alleged that $70,000 was paid out to ADD Services at the request of Andrew Fahie, who subsequently received $20,000 of the amount back in cash.”

“In April 2002, the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force made initial arrests concerning the airport contract and also began tracing the proceeds of the alleged crime. ‘During the investigation, it is alleged that Andrew Fahie conspired with Albion Hodge and ADD officials to lie to the investigators about their financial dealings’, it was alleged” “Offshore Alert” reported. The same article states that investigators also claim that there is evidence to show that Andrew and Sheila Fahie had sent or couriered large sums of money to the USA for them by a number of persons. However, Hon. Fahie, who is the Representative for District 1, told reporters here he has never done anything wrong, he doesn’t know why he is being targeted and it is a mystery why this investigation is taking the direction it is taking.

"Neither me or any other member of my family was ever involved in anything illegal," he told reporters during the lunch break at last Thursday’s Legislative Council meeting.

"I do respect the process has to go on, but we're definitely confident that the results will be positive." He said news of this investigation surprised him, but he maintained “if you did no evil, you fear no evil." Meantime, Commissioner of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Mr. Barry W. Webb stated in a press release dated November 5th, 2003: “We are aware of the content of the article…We have no knowledge as to how this information was published and it would be inappropriate for us to discuss the article at this time.”