Suspect charged in Travolta exortion case

The ambulance driver who took John Travolta's late son to hospital following his fatal seizure has been formally charged for his part in an alleged plot to extort money from the movie star.

The Bahamas' Minister of National Security, Tommy Turnquest, has confirmed Tarino Lightbourne was charged with conspiracy to extort on Monday.

Jett Travolta, 16, succumbed to a seizure disorder while the Travolta family were vacationing in the Bahamas on January 2.

Lightbourne was arrested on Friday, one day after former Senator Pleasant Bridgewater was detained for her alleged involvement in the plot.

Bridgewater resigned from her post following the arrest and has been released on $40,000 (€30,000) bail.

Their arrests follow reports the pair worked together to take a photograph of the Pulp Fiction star's son as he lay dying in an alleged $25m (€18.79m) extortion scheme.

Details of the reported extortion plot have not been made public, although reports on TMZ.com suggest the alleged plot does not involve photographs.

The Bahamas former Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe, a close friend of the Travoltas, was also questioned by police on Friday.

But Turnquest tells the website Wilchcombe "has not been charged", adding, "He was not arrested; he was questioned on Friday."