The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Chief Superintendent of Police Michael Johnson, a prominent lawyer and a police sergeant were granted bail yesterday after being charged in connection with a bribery scandal.

Johnson was also accused of involvement in the alleged theft of $90,000, which is part of the $1.475m reportedly taken during an airport bank security heist while in police custody that same year.

Johnson, 52, who previously headed the Criminal Investigation Department, announced his retirement from the police force last week, just days before the charges were filed.

He was charged alongside Sergeant 3726 Deangelo Rolle, 33, and attorney Bjorn Ferguson, 44, before Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley.

Johnson faces charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, stealing, receiving, and accessory after the fact to stealing.

Ferguson faces a single charge of accessory after the fact to stealing, while Rolle is charged with abetment to stealing.

Prior to his arraignment, Rolle was interdicted at Police Headquarters.

The defendants appeared calm and composed during the hearing, which took place in a courtroom packed with officers, members of the press, and relatives, leaving many in the audience standing.

Ian Cargill, who stood in for Damian Gomez, KC, and Ciji Smith-Curry, both representing Ferguson, expressed concern about delays, noting that attorneys for the accused had waited since 1pm, while the case was not heard until 5pm.

The allegations against Johnson include conspiring with Ferguson and Michael Fox Jr to solicit a bribe from Fox Jr between November 6 and 15, 2023, to avoid arrest in his capacity as a public officer. During the same period, Johnson also allegedly helped Fox Jr in an offence related to theft.

A voice note, purportedly capturing a conversation between Johnson, Ferguson, and Fox Jr about the alleged bribe, was leaked in May 2024, months after Fox Jr was killed in a gang-related shooting. The leak reportedly triggered a months-long investigation by police.

Johnson is also accused of stealing $90,000 from Akeil Holmes on November 3, 2023, while the money was in police custody. The $90,000 is alleged to be part of the $1.475m stolen from the Bank of the Bahamas during a security vehicle heist at Lynden Pindling International Airport on November 2, 2023. Holmes, a former ICS security officer charged in connection with the heist, is awaiting trial.

Ferguson is accused of assisting Fox Jr after the fact with a theft-related offence between November 6 and 15, 2023.

Mr Cargill challenged the wording of some charges, highlighting that Fox Jr, listed as both a co-conspirator and complainant, is deceased.

Johnson’s attorney, Murrio Ducille, KC, criticised the charges as “defective” and described the docket as “inelegantly crafted”. He noted that Ferguson was not charged with conspiracy to bribery despite being listed as a conspirator and pointed out that Holmes was not included as a witness.

Magistrate Reckley told the attorneys that these issues could be addressed at a later date in the Supreme Court and that Holmes could still be listed as a witness.

The defendants were not required to enter pleas, as the matter will proceed to the Supreme Court via a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

Chief Superintendent David Lockhart, who served as prosecutor, did not oppose bail but requested conditions. He noted that Sergeant Rolle is already on bail for a separate case in which he and two other officers are accused of manslaughter in connection with the death of 31-year-old Azario Major, who was fatally shot outside a bar on Fire Trail Road on December 26, 2021. Rolle’s trial for that case is scheduled for 2027.

Bail for Johnson was set at $25,000 with one or two sureties, while Ferguson and Rolle were granted $7,500 bail each with the same surety requirements. Johnson and Ferguson must report to the Elizabeth Estates Police Station on the second and last Fridays of each month, while Rolle is required to report to the East Street South Police Station on the same dates.

The VBIs for the three defendants are scheduled to be served on January 30.