Probe continues into passport scandal allegedly involving a cop

Suspended Assistant Superintendent of Police Ray John gave his first official interview and police statement on Saturday about his alleged role in suspicious activities involving Antigua and Barbuda passports.
An investigation was launched into the matter just over a week ago, after copies of the bio pages of the country’s passports were found in the possession of a man at the airport in St. Vincent and fingers were pointed at the senior cop of 29 years.
Yesterday, a source revealed that on Saturday, John was first asked to give a statement, in the presence of his lawyer Dane Hamilton Sr., and after that, he was quizzed in the official question and answer format by the investigators.
 His interview on Saturday came a day after his colleagues from several units within the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda searched his Gunthorpes home and confiscated a number of items, mostly documents, as part of their investigations, the police said in a statement on Friday.
He had been taken off the job on Friday and escorted to the house around 9 a.m. and the search was done in his presence for approximately three hours.
The probe into the matter continues and sources said more interviews will be done with other witnesses in the days ahead. Currently, officers from St. Vincent and the Grenadines are on island assisting the local police with the investigation.
John, who headed the Rapid Response Unit, was suspended on Friday, with immediate effect and with half pay, pending the outcome of the probe.
The passport office has since said it can account for all the country’s documents, nonetheless, an audit will be done to look into this or any other matter.
Over the weekend, the prime minister, Gaston Browne, said “mischief” was at play in the matter.
Days before that, he dismissed the entire matter saying it should be taken “with a grain of salt” because the relationship among members of the force has been quite bitter prior to and following the suspension of the Commissioner of Police, Wendel Robinson, over alleged sexual harassment of three of his male subordinates.