Wanted woman turns herself in to cops

Shakema Charles of St. Johnston’s Village, accompanied by her lawyer, turned herself in to police yesterday.
Law enforcement had been investigating her in connection with the same alleged passport forgery for which they charged her partner, Assistant Superintendent of Police Ray John.
A wanted bulletin was issued for Charles on December 20, 2018. Nine days later, a warrant of first instance for her arrest was issued by Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh.
OBSERVER media became aware of the woman surrendering to the police around noon yesterday when residents reported seeing several lawmen outside the law offices of Daniels, Phillips and Associates on St. Mary’s Street.
The police rushed there in response to reports from individuals that they saw the wanted woman going into the building earlier in the day.
But when they got there the police could not proceed unto the premises to arrest her, since they had to allow due process for her to consult with her lawyer.
Well-placed sources said the woman had gone to the office to seek legal advice from Lawrence Daniel and for him to accompany her to the police station, but he was at the time representing another client in court.
Attorney Warren Cassell, who also works for the firm, was in court as well; so the third lawyer at the agency, Pete-Semaj Mcknight, accompanied Charles to the Langford’s Police Station.
Charles’s detention comes nine months after a charge of conspiracy to forge Antigua and Barbuda passports was filed against Assistant Superintendent John, 47, and his mother, 63-year-old Yvonne Nickie, who was pulled from a flight waiting to depart Antigua last April.
John was also accused of 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.
Charles was questioned around the time of John’s arrest in April 2018, but she was not charged.