Weeks after losing his son, John Travolta and his family are now the victims of an extortion bid.
Exact details of the plot have yet to be made public, but the attempt to get money from the Travoltas is connected with the death of their 16-year-old son Jett, according to TMZ.com. The extortionists are reportedly demanding $20 million.
Police in the Bahamas have now launched an investigation, Bahamian Parliament member Obie Wilchcombe has confirmed to Us Weekly.
Today it emerged that two men in the Bahamas, including a local politician from Grand Bahama and another man believed to be connected to the ambulance service, are now being quizzed by local authorities over the allegations.
The Bahamas’ largest Web site, Bahamasb2b.com, reports that one of the paramedics who responded to the emergency call took a picture, using his cell phone, as Jett Travolta lay dying.
The shot is said to show the actor’s son in the back of the ambulance which took him to hospital.
The Bahamian politician reportedly contacted Travolta on behalf of the medical worker, threatening to sell the picture to U.S. celebrity tabloids, such as the National Enquirer, if their multi-million dollar demand is ignored.
News of the investigation comes as Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham’s government announced a major crackdown on corruption.
It aims to get rid of more than a dozen top-levels cops from the country’s police force. The development is seen as one of the most important nation-building moves in years.
“A number of senior officers were seen today,” Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest told the local press Wednesday.
“They were told that the force was being reorganized and that they weren’t going to be a part of that and that they had an option of voluntarily retiring if they wished. But we intend by the end of this week to reorganize the senior command of the Royal Bahamas Police.”
Wilchcombe, meanwhile, says he was approached about the extortion plot early last week and passed along the information to Travolta’s lawyers.
“The irony was that the Travolta family just sent a letter of gratitude – it happened that afternoon,” said Wilchcombe, referring to a Jan. 12 statement issued by a rep for the family thanking the people of the Bahamas for their support.
“I thought it was a despicable act,” Wilchcombe said. “One person should not destroy the character of the country.”
Jett died of a seizure disorder on Jan. 2, while staying at the family’s vacation home in the Bahamas.
Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston traveled in the ambulance to the hospital and the teenager was pronounced dead at the hospital.
His cause of death after an autopsy was reportedly listed as “seizure,” but the death certificate has never been made public.
(source)
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.