Michael Johnson, the former head of the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and a well-known attorney are scheduled to be arraigned in the Magistrates Court, amid controversy surrounding leaked audio recordings.
The charges come one week after he resigned as chief superintendent of the police force, following mounting pressure over his alleged involvement in the scandal.
The case stems from an investigation into a series of disturbing audio recordings, which surfaced last summer. One of the recordings captured a conversation between a wanted suspect and a police official. The suspect was seeking to negotiate the terms of his questioning and even an agreed payment for his release.
A second audio recording, which was also leaked following the suspect’s murder, featured the same suspect and another individual acting as an intermediary between the suspect and the police official.
The content of these recordings raised serious questions about potential corruption, abuse of power, and misconduct within the police force.
As a result, Johnson, who had been in charge of the CID, was placed on garden leave last summer while an investigation was conducted.
The full extent of the charges against Johnson and any potential co-conspirators remains unclear.
