Former Bahamian Minister of Tourism, and self proclaimed ‘friend’ of the Travolta family, Obie Wilchcombe was detained and then subsequently released on Friday by island officials investigating the Travolta extortion case.
As we mentioned last week, the John and his wife Kelly were being shaken down during their time of grief.
Some shady people reportedly told them to pay millions of dollars or else pictures of their dying son Jett – in the ambulance on the way to the hospital – would be released.
Now, Wilchombe is speaking out about the extortion plot and proclaiming his ‘innocence’.
Wilchcombe says that he “did a noble thing” by alerting the Travolta family lawyers that “someone was doing something untowards”.
He doesn’t explain what the “something untowards” was, though!
Apparently, the information was passed on to him early last week by another suspect in the extortion case, former Bahamian senator Pleaseant Bridgewater.
“She knew I was close to the Travolta’s,” says Wilchcombe. “She wanted to bring something to my attention.”
When asked if he sought compensation for the tip off, he exclaimed, “Never once, asking for anything! Never once, expecting anything! This is ridiculous and absurd. The Travolta’s are suffering, it’s just outright foolish. Never did I ask for anything, no one can say that. We had a friend in my country who lost a son. It was one single individual [who tried to take advantage of the family], the Bahamian people have been very kind to the Travoltas.”
Shooting the messenger is never cool, but we’re assuming there’s much more to the extortion case that hasn’t come to light yet.
We can’t wait to hear what Pleasant, the woman who put everything into motion, says in her tell-all interview!
[Image via WENN.]