Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

#TurksandCaicos, March 9, 2024 – Appeared in Court properly hidden from cameras and on lookers only this week were three individuals all charged with indictable offenses.

Two men were charged jointly for kidnapping, robbery, inflicting grievous bodily injury, taking a motor vehicle without consent or authority and possession of offensive weapon(s).

It is alleged that WILFREDO WILLIAMS aka Biggz, 32 years old and JOHNATHAN HANDFIELD, aka Fatboy 34 did kidnapped, robbed, beat him up with a piece of 2×4, stole his car, his Rolex Watch value at $39,000.00 and $25,000.00 in cash belonging to the virtual complainant Ricardo Fulford.

The incident alleged to have happened on Thursday, 17th August, 2023, at Olympics Plaza, Providenciales. The alleged injuries sustained are considered very serious and were possibly life-threatening before emergency medical surgery.

The duo was not required to plea at the Magistrate’s Court on Monday March 4 and was remanded to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation without bail until April 10th for sufficiency hearing.

They were represented by Mr. Ashwood Forbes, senior counsel who did not make a bail application for them in the Magistrate’s Court (even though he could have as they are not charged with any firearm offences) but indicated he preferred do so in the Supreme Court.

SEVENTH CONSPIRATOR CHARGED IN SERIOUS CONSPIRACY RING 

ANTHONY “Andy or Clarkey” CLARKE JR, 32, who also properly hid his face as he entered the courtroom has been granted $20,000.00 bail by the learned Chief Magistrate Mr. Jolyon Hatmin.  That bail hearing was concluded on Tuesday March 5th and follows Clarke being charged the week prior, with conspiracy to supply drugs along with JUMILLO ISMA and others sometime between May to August 2021.

It is alleged that CLARKE was part of an illegal drug smuggling ring.

CLARKE is the seventh person charged in this conspiracy probe by investigators of the Serious Crime Unit.

CLARKE did speak to Magnetic Media whilst waiting to be called in Court and said, “I’m doing very good now, I have my boat tour trips waiting on me, I already collected people money and these people playing round with big man life for wa? Lil bit a drugs I tried getting in the prison while I was in prison in 2021, smt”.

CLARKE went on to say, “all these serious things going on in TCI now, and you’ll white people ,(meaning the police officers from the UK) here messing with lil bit drugs that value under $250.00″?

Man, I going plea guilty to that because that’s foolishness. You’ll wasting my and you’ll time charged me.”

He told his attorney, Mr. Ashwood Forbes clearly in our hearing that he wants to put this behind him and Forbes did attempt to have the case pleaded to and dispose of the matter on the very Tuesday however, the Hon. Chief Magistrate said he has no jurisdiction and transferred the matter to the Supreme Court for sufficiency hearing on April 10th along with the others charged in the conspiracy investigation over ISMA’s confiscated cell phone.

CLARKE said, “this from 2021, we in 2024, what a judge could do to me for something from so long and something so small. This come to hold my life back man, I was in jail with that nigga around them times.”

The Crown did not oppose bail, but Mr. Ashwood Forbes strongly challenged some of the conditions by stating they are unnecessary and unwarranted for well-known businessman and boat captain like Andy CLARKE.

Clarke is now freed on bail.