The Power Struggle
New reporting revisits an acrimonious relationship between then-Governor Augustus Jaspert and then-Premier Andrew Fahie that reportedly began soon after Jaspert’s appointment and intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sources say disputes over emergency powers, a UK naval vessel and who controlled border security led to a probe of constitutional roles and heated exchanges between the two men.
Five years after tensions first surfaced, fresh reporting has detailed a deeply strained working relationship between United Kingdom-appointed Governor Augustus J. Jaspert and then-Premier Andrew Fahie, a rift that local sources say began almost immediately after Jaspert’s arrival and worsened during the COVID-19 crisis.
According to Virgin Islands News Online and sources familiar with the matter, the disagreement centred on who held authority during the pandemic. Governor Jaspert is said to have pressed for a state of emergency that would place the territory under his direct control. Mr Fahie resisted, citing the Territory’s Health Acts and the view — reportedly supported at the time by then-Attorney General Baba F.
Aziz — that the Minister of Health and the elected government had statutory authority to manage public-health emergencies. Dispute over a UK naval vessel further inflamed relations. Jaspert reportedly said Mr Fahie refused the ship, which he described as necessary to patrol VI waters.
Other sources say the ship was on its routine Caribbean tour and would normally have stayed only about a month; Mr Fahie, concerned about human-trafficking and border security during the pandemic, wanted it to remain longer. The Governor could not guarantee an extended deployment, and officials instead created a Joint Task Force (JTF) composed of Immigration, Police and Customs to handle surveillance and border control.
The reporting also recounts episodes of sharp verbal exchanges between the two men. It is alleged Jaspert told Mr Fahie he would "teach him a lesson." At one point, Mr Fahie reportedly sought to have the Governor arrested and wrote to then-Commissioner of Police Michael B. Matthews; the former Attorney General reportedly advised that the Governor, as the Queen’s representative, was immune from such action.
A complaint to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is said to have resulted in a reiteration of support for the Governor as "our man on the ground." The episode highlights tensions at the intersection of local democratic authority and the governor’s constitutional responsibilities.
Under the Virgin Islands constitution, the governor retains sole responsibility for aspects of internal and external security, including the police, the judiciary and prosecutions — powers that can come into direct conflict with elected ministers during crises. Questions remain about the aftermath of the Jaspert–Fahie standoff, including whether later investigations and law-enforcement actions were connected to that clash.
Reporters say those questions will be addressed in a forthcoming series. This account is based on reporting by Virgin Islands News Online and sources familiar with the events.
Primary source: VINO