Arrest warrant issued for girlfriend of forgery-accused cop

An arrest warrant has been issued for Shakema Charles of St. Johnston’s Village even as the police continue to investigate her partner, suspended Assistant Superintendent of Police Ray John and his mother, Yvonne Nickie, for conspiracy to forge Antigua and Barbuda passports. Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh is said to have approved the warrant over the weekend, about a week after lawmen issued a wanted bulletin for the young woman.
The police, in a statement Saturday night, said Charles has been on the run for the past week and the magistrate was asked to sign the warrant for her immediate arrest. In the statement to the public, the police are urging anyone with information regarding the woman’s whereabouts to contact them immediately at 727-0029, or 462-3913, 462-3914. Lawmen have also cautioned that it is an offence for anyone to aid, give shelter or assist someone who is wanted by the police, or anyone for whom an arrest warrant has been issued.
Charles was questioned months ago after John was arrested along with his 63- year-old mother, who had been pulled from a flight that was about to depart Antigua in April. But lawmen did not arrest or charge the now wanted woman.
However, they jointly charged the mother and son of Gunthropes with five counts of conspiracy to forge Antigua and Barbuda passports, contrary to common law. John, 47, was further charged with the larceny of 54 multi-layered infilling sheets and one multi-layered infilling patch, valued at EC$21,700, the property of the Antigua and Barbuda Passport Office. The case is still pending in the magistrate’s court.