John Travolta is currently in the Bahamas to potentially testify in the high profile extortion case against former Bahamian senator Pleasant Bridgewater and paramedic Tarino Lightbourne. Bridgewater and Lightbourne are accused of demanding $25 million from the actor in exchange for keeping quiet about a “refusal to transport” document for Travolta’s son, Jett, who died in the Bahamas in January after suffering a seizure and hitting his head. The background on the document is benign enough – Travolta initially wanted to fly Jett in his private jet to Florida for treatment instead of having him taken to hospital in the Bahamas. It could have taken the same amount of time, 45 minutes, to take Jett back to Florida as it would have to drive him to the hospital in the Bahamas. By signing the document, Travolta was releasing the hospital from legal liability in the event of complications. Travolta opted to take Jett to the Bahamian hospital instead, but apparently Lightbourne and his lawyer, Bridgewater, thought that the news that Travolta wanted to fly Jett to Florida was something that he would pay dearly to keep out of the press.

Yesterday a nine person jury with three men and six women was selected. Travolta is on the witness list with 13 other people, and is the first witness listed for the opening day of trial today:

John Travolta has traveled to the Bahamas and is prepared to be the first witness Tuesday in an extortion case linked to his 16-year-old son’s death, a source tells PEOPLE.

The actor is staying at an exclusive gated community west of Nassau, the source says. This is believed to be Travolta’s first visit to the Bahamas since Jett Travolta died last January after suffering a seizure at the actor’s vacation home on the island of Grand Bahama.

Paramedic Tarino Lightbourn and his attorney, former Bahamian Sen. Pleasant Bridgewater, are accused of conspiring to extort $25 million from Travolta for a document relating to Jett’s treatment. The pair have pleaded not guilty and are out on bond.

Supreme Court Judge Anita Allen swore in the six-woman, three-man jury Monday, with opening statements slated to begin Tuesday morning.

Travolta, who heads the 14-member witness list, was not among the four witnesses present in court during jury selection. But he is expected to testify – and likely will have to recount the painful memories of Jett’s death – since he filed the extortion complaint.

“If the prosecution doesn’t call him, we will,” Mary Bain, a lawyer representing Lightbourn, tells PEOPLE. “Of course, he’s a key witness.”

[From People]

There was speculation last month that Travolta and his wife of 18 years, Kelly Preston,were having trouble in their marriage after Jett passed. Kelly has been hard at work while Travolta took a trip by himself to Tahiti earlier this year and has cut a lonely figure since. John doesn’t need to go through the pain of having to recount his son’s death after two greedy people tried to take advantage of him. If these people did try to extort money from Travolta over a tragedy they deserve to have the book thrown at them.

John Travolta is shown in November, 2008 at the premiere of Bolt. Credit: PRPhotos. Other photos are of the two suspects, Bridgewater and Lightbourne, outside of court yesterday. Credit: WENN.com