Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline, host of Honestly Speaking, has advised that the arrest and subsequent sentencing in the United States of former Premier Andrew A. Fahie cannot be ignored and that its effects cannot be underestimated. Photo: Government of the Virgin Islands

Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline duringg Honestly Speaking on May 5, 2026. Photo: Facebook

According to Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline the arrest and sentencing of former Premier Andrew A. Fahie in the United States have affected the Virgin Islands' relationship with the United Kingdom. Photo: Internet Source

During the May 5, 2026, edition of his show on ZBVI 780 AM, Skelton-Cline said what transpired with Mr Fahie was never properly addressed. 

“Whatever happens to a leader, happens to a nation, and we have not yet had an honest conversation about what transpired with former Premier Fahie. We have not had an honest, loving conversation about the implications and the impact and the pain that has been inflicted on this country as a result of that.”

Leadership of the VI, he added, have not had a conversation about it either in the House of Assembly. 

The affects on VI’s relationship with UK

Reciting the quote “You cannot heal what you refuse to acknowledge,” Skelton-Cline added, saying what happened to the VI as a result has set the country back. 

“We’ve been on our heels since then, we’ve been afraid to speak on the subject, we’ve been unable or unwilling to find the words within our vocabulary with which to articulate the pain, the disappointment, the havoc that it has wreaked. We’ve been unable to discuss the resulting effect, the United Kingdom using that as a pretext, we have been unable to speak about what yet frustrates us systematically and structurally in our relationship with the United Kingdom stemming from this matter,” he continued. 

He’s still our brother

Skelton-Cline clarified that Fahie is “one of us”, a Virgin Islander, family and friend. “We love him, but what transpired is not something that we love. As a matter of fact, it is something that we hate, we hate what happened because of what it has done to this country, that years from now we’ll still be trying to catch ourselves.”

The Honestly Speaking host said he was articulating this point with empathy, reiterating, “We cannot underestimate, and we should not ignore what has transpired here and why we are unable in so many instances to achieve some of the things that we need to achieve as a people, but with the United Kingdom’s approval.”

This, he said, has contributed to where the VI is today and therefore advised the following: 1. Acknowledge it. 2. Own the impact that it has had. 3. Express our love for our brother, but hate what transpired that impacts our children and our children’s children. 4. Ensure, on our own, without the UK, that the guardrails, accountability amongst ourselves, in systems, and structures, are fortified. 

This, he said, is necessary “so that we can move on indeed”. 

Virgin Islands News Online, VINO, understands that Mr Fahie, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison in the USA on August 5, 2024, is appealing his conviction.