NASSAU (Bahamas) - A BAHAMAS lawmaker apologised publicly on Tuesday for remarks that caused a mistrial in the John Travolta extortion case, but he did not reveal who told him that a defendant had been acquitted before a verdict was announced.
Picewell Forbes said his televised assertion that the still-deliberating jury had cleared one of the two defendants, a former Bahamas senator from his party, was 'not true.'
'My statements were reckless and interfered with the course of justice in that case and were further capable of bringing disrepute to the whole administration of justice,' Mr Forbes said during a brief news conference inside the parliament building.
Mr Forbes apologised to the judge and the people of this island chain off the Florida coast. He did not take questions and his attorney, Anthony McKinney, said they cannot comment further because the matter is still before the court.
Senior Justice Anita Allen, who presided over the monthlong trial, has said she is considering a contempt of court charge against Forbes.
Ms Allen said she had no choice but to dismiss the jury because his remarks on the night of Oct 21 gave the appearance of a leak from the jury room. -- AP
