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Celebrity Justice
Bahama Cops: Obie's Still in Our Crosshairs

Posted Jan 26th 2009 12:10PM by TMZ Staff

John TravoltaBahamian police are holding a news conference now, talking about the alleged John Travolta extortion plot.

Senior Assistant Commissioner Marvin Dames just said Obie Wilchcombe still is under investigation, and EMT Tarino Lightbourne has been arraigned on extortion conspiracy charges. Former Senator Pleasant Bridgewater already has been charged with conspiracy to commit extortion.

As TMZ first reported, the subject of the alleged plot is NOT a photo. Rather, it is a document.

Wilchcombe, who was a close friend of the Travoltas and appeared on Larry King's show the night Jett died, is a member of Parliament and former Minister of Tourism.

If convicted, each charge carries a maximum sentence of five years.

UPDATE 2:20 PM ET -- The prosecutor in the case objecting to bail for Lightbourne. He says police are looking for a "certain document" and if Lightbourne is release, they may not be able to find it.

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1. so sad for the travolta family.

Posted at 12:19PM on Jan 26th 2009 by ks

2. is the truth about this document going to come out

travolta likes vip treatment, but when it cuts the other way he shrieks

Posted at 12:55PM on Jan 26th 2009 by let truth come out

3. The Bahamas, the New Aruba. How sad. Natalie Holloway and Aruba to be replaced by Jett Travolta and Bahamas now for scandal, skulduggery, bad government, bad police work, and tricky lawyers.

They remain both lovely places to vacation to--just as long as you dont have to interface in any capacity with the aforementioned groups. Have fun, but dont make a mistake there, it could cost you your life and than your surviving loved ones, their shirt.

Posted at 1:01PM on Jan 26th 2009 by Blago might be right...

4. If somebody doesn't get in there and cover this properly, Tarino Lightbourne is going to end up as a mysterious suicide and the lawyers for the Church of $cientology will get it all to just go away, like they have so often before. Blackmail and Fair Game are 2 of their specialties.
Jett deserves better, he deserves the whole truth to be told, perhaps it could save someones else's life.
Is Geraldo over there?
Don't send Greta VS over there, she is a $cientologi$t, she'll help hide the truth.
Get somebody over there that wants the truth.
Heads are rolling anyway,some good might as well come out of it...

What Scientology doesn't want you to know
http://www.xenu.net/roland-intro.html
Why are they dead, Scientology?
http://www.whyaretheydead.net/

Posted at 2:56PM on Jan 26th 2009 by 37211

5. The autopsy report...........so sad that the Travolta's had to lie about the cause of death...or the police report that showed the time frame was probably a child services issue bc they left a handicapped child ALONE for HOURS

Posted at 1:07PM on Jan 26th 2009 by lolalolaol

6. I am proud of my country, in less than 3 days after the story broke the three people involved were taken into custody. Obie was brought in for questioning and Pleasant was arrested and charged as was Lightbourn. As it is now everything is going incredibly fast and in accordance with good jurisprudence, this is a good reaction by my country, despite what some want to say. Ms. Bridgewater is also an ex minister like Obie so for these two to be arrested considering their political clout says we the Bahamas are taking this very seriously and whoever is involved will be held to pay for their crime. Considering the past 8 years in the US, no American should open their mouths to say anything against the Bahamas on this. We are doing what we are supposed to do, even more. When you guys have bush and his henchmen behind bars feel free to comment on how you feel the Bahamas should handle this. Until that day though, anything said about how bad it is in the Bahamas is pure hypocritical nonsense. Go Bahamas!!!!! I am proud of you!!!!

Posted at 1:27PM on Jan 26th 2009 by A Bahamian

7. This is so SO sad for the Travolta family. Now, the secret autopsy report will probably come out in the public court case. Let the family keep their secrets with their Scientology auditors. It's just like the catholic confessions. None of the government's business. I mean he has already been CLEARED of any wrong doing!!

Posted at 1:33PM on Jan 26th 2009 by surtee

8. Mr Lightbourne,
If they get that document, we may not be able to found YOU!

Posted at 2:55PM on Jan 26th 2009 by 37211

9. America has one of the best judicial system in the world and so Americans should know by now to wait until the evidence is known before you draw conclusions. I happen to personally (and professionally) know Obie Wilchcombe and not only does he have the financial resources whereby he doesn't need to extort money from anyone, Obie is a smart, sharp man. He is one of the nicest people I know. To be honest, I am willing to put every dime I have on the fact that the low down,dirty FNM party is behind this. I am not saying that extortion of some sort didn't take place. What I am saying is that the FNM party consist of a dirty bunch of slime ball and are willing to engage in slime throwing to discredit some of ithe opposing TMZ are members of the slime group headed by turtle neck Hubert Ingraham. All of this is embarrassing for such a beautiful nation of people. I love John Travolta and I am sick to the stomach of the thought of anyone doing this to him. It is just plain terrible to do this to anyone.

The Bahamas is not Aruba, just as Disney World shouldn't be considered a place not to visit because Casey Anthony is charged for murdering her daughter in Orlando. We all should know not to criticize a nation because of the actions of a few. I am a Bahamian as well, and I would never extort money from anyone for any reason and I am broke too. I wouldn't blame America for what Timothy McVeigh did. I love this great nation inspite of the few (by comparison) murderers and rapists, etc.

Posted at 4:28PM on Jan 26th 2009 by Shay

10. Shay
you are quite right that obie is an honest man an does not have to stoop to anything as low as extortion. But like everyone else we are not above being investigated when there is suspicion of foul play.
I do not know why you have to bring politics into it.The FNM just like the PLP are Bahamians. and none of us is above the law
Suffice it to say like the famer said to the parrot if you were not hanging out with the crows you would be alive today.
Politics have nothing to do with it

Posted at 7:40PM on Jan 26th 2009 by tony

11.
You americans never cease to amaze me with your "holier than thou" attitude. Have you not heard of Blagojevich and his extortion efforts, and he still clings to power. And what about your other senators thrown out of office for illegal acts. Thank goodness the Bahamas inherited the english rule of law and separation of the judiciary from the executive. Your supreme court justices "twist" the laws to comply with the wishes of their political masters who appointed them. And Bush, Chaney and AG Gonzalez etc. - but lets not go into all that.

Posted at 9:57AM on Jan 27th 2009 by LP

12. you americans act like your country is so f****ng perfect. Am a proud Bahamian and i will tell you yes our country was built on corruption but so was ya beloved United States of America. You want to give my country a black eye because of some screw ups but fail to realise when it comes to international screw ups it is one thing ya country is good at. No place in the world is more corrupted n crminally minded than the good old U.S of A. I love to visit America frequently but im not on websites talkin down on your country when some corruption or criminal charge comes up against your political leaders. You and all your media outlets want to blacklist my home like we're all money hungry criminals which is far from the truth. just like any other country we have our ad apples too and before you all go continuing people as criminals EVRYBODY IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.

Posted at 2:39PM on Jan 27th 2009 by real bahamian

13. The document could be the REAL autopsy. Like maybe he drowned to death because he was left in the bath by himself or maybe he was electrocuted becase he was unattended for hours and was in the bathroom playing. Of course I'm speculating but I wouldn't be surprised that while everyone was freaking out that he didn't get proper meds to treat his seizures that he might have died of something that was completely unrelated. And the only thing explainable the Travolta's could come up with was, well, he had a seizure condition and that would explain his death to the public. If it were something else people would want it immediately investigated so saying he died of a seizure which was a pre existing condition makes total sense. But he could have also been electrocuted and the body would still maybe have looked the same. Only the autopsy could show it was something else and the Travolta's got their personal doctors to perform the autopsy and no one questioned it at all. Then the body was creamated so quickly and no one is the wiser. Except maybe someone who had the real information on what really went down or someone who actually saw the body and could tell the cause of death was from something else other than a seizure. Anyway, like I said, I am only speculating but the entire thing looks like a classic cover up. And I don't trust this family at all when they are surrounded by Scientologists para military group 24 hours a day. Why put out a different press release everyday. Why not just get the cops involved and stay out of the press and grieve. The public wouldn't even know about this if Travolta's lawyer never brought it to their attention. Seems like a pre attack strike. Like spinning the story to make it look a certain way in their favor. Whatever this document is, it must be something pretty big and it hope it sees the light of day. It would certainly fill in all the gaps this story seems to be missing.

Posted at 2:41PM on Jan 27th 2009 by Over the pond