Fate of Ray John and Co-Accused Still Uncertain, Case Adjourned Again

The question of whether suspended Superintendent Ray John and his co-accused, Shakema Charles, will be retried remains unanswered.

On Wednesday, Magistrate Conliffe Clarke was expected to rule on the matter but instead adjourned until November 15, seeking clarification from the defence on two issues raised in their submissions.

Lawyers for suspended Superintendent of Police Ray John and his former partner Shakema Charles are doing everything possible to prevent a conviction for passport fraud.

Their attorneys had filed submissions to have the case dismissed or tried in the Magistrates’ Court rather than the High Court.

The two, charged in connection with a major passport scam, were previously cleared of all criminal charges in March when Justice Tunde Backre dismissed the charges, ruling that the law does not permit conspiracy to be tried by a judge alone.

However, their victory was short-lived as they were recharged and brought back to the St. John’s Magistrate’s Court to restart the legal process.

John and Charles are again jointly accused of conspiring with Vincentian resident Lonzel Jones to create fake passport bio pages using unauthorized Multi-Layered Infilling Sheets.