Ray John and mother bailed

A month after he was suspended on suspicion of fraud, Assistant Superintendent of Police Ray John and his mother, Yvonne Nickie, who was pulled off a flight in April, were charged and taken to court.
Yesterday, they were each granted $50,000 bail when they appeared before Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh, who also ordered them to pay a $10,000 bond and provide two sureties to sign for their release.
The magistrate told the duo that while their case is pending, they must report to Parham Police Station between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily. Additionally, they had to surrender their travel documents to the court.
Five joint charges of conspiracy to forge Antigua and Barbuda passports, contrary to Common Law, were filed against John, 47, and Nickie, 63.
John was separately charged with two counts of larceny of 54 multi-layered infilling sheets and one multi-layered infilling patch, valued at E.C. $21,700, the property of the Antigua and Barbuda Passport Office.
And, he was also charged with receiving four multi-layered infilling sheets and one multi-layered infilling patch valued at E.C. $1,300, also the property of the Passport Office, knowing same to have been stolen.
All the offences were allegedly committed between January and March this year.
John and Nickie were subjected to fingerprinting at St. John’s Police Station yesterday morning before they were escorted to the St. John’s Magistrates’ Court for the bail hearing.
While the prosecution had objected to bail for John’s mother because she has a U.S passport and ties to St. Vincent, her lawyer, Dane Hamilton Q.C. said she was willing to turn over the passports to the court and this was done.
When he attended court yesterday, the accused officer, who, until his recent suspension, headed the Rapid Response Unit, was dressed in a dark coloured business suit and an inner shirt which remained unbuttoned at the top. He is not allowed to wear police uniform while on suspension. Several officers were present at the court for the matter yesterday, either in support of John or out of mere curiosity.
He and his mom are to return to court on July 11 for their next hearing.
The duo was represented by attorneys Dane Hamilton and Nelisa Spencer.
It was in early April that the police in St. Vincent intercepted a man with five bio pages of Antigua and Barbuda passports among other items, to include a large quantity of cash.
The police in that country have been collaborating with lawmen from Antigua and Barbuda since then, as fingers were pointed at ASP John.
Then on April 13, the police swooped down on John’s Gunthorpes home and searched it in his family’s presence. He too was at the premises. The following week, the police pulled Nickie from a flight that was set to depart Antigua.