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Monday, July 5, 2010
VYBZ KARTEL IN JAIL Popular dancehall deejay Adidja ‘Vybz Kartel’ Palmer, has been named as one six “major persons of interest”
who are being sought by the St. Catherine South Police. The police are reportedly asking him to turn himself in at any Police
Station in Portmore or any Police Station across the island. Vybz Kartel’s publicist, Ms. RAINE INC, had no comment,
no update and no idea why the police wanted to question him.
Significantly though, the State
of Emergency that was imposed last month in Kingston & St. Andrew during the security forces’ assault on Tivoli Gardens, was recently extended to include the parish
of St. Catherine. As they did last month in Kingston and St. Andrew, where certain alleged gang and area leaders were randomly
called in for questioning, it now seems that the police have extended this activity to the parish of St. Catherine. Vybz Kartel is not known to be an area or gang leader, so him being placed on what is in effect a ‘WANTED’
list has certainly raised eyebrows. Under the rules of the State of Emergency, the police have the power to “arrest
and detain persons whose behaviour gives reasonable grounds for suspecting that he/she is acting in a manner prejudicial to
public safety or has committed an offence against the Regulations … such persons to be detained up to a period not
exceeding 24 hours and power to detain for a further five days on the authority of a Resident Magistrate or a police officer
not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent.“
Vybz Kartel gives himself up
POPULAR entertainer Vybz Kartel gave himself up to the police minutes after 9:00 am today. Vybz Kartel, whose real name is Adijah Palmer, went to the Greater Portmore police station accompanied by
his attorney Christian Tavares-Finson. He was named as a person
of interest by the St Catherine South Police two days ago and despite expressing his willingness to be interviewed by the
police, Vybz Kartel never made good on his word. He will spend
tonight behind bars as the police say he will be questioned tomorrow. The entertainer has had an embattled year after being banned from performing in St Lucia and Barbados. He
is also banned from entering the United States.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
DUDUS IN NEW YORK CITY
MANHATTAN, New York:
Christopher 'Dudus' Coke should in two months get
his hands on some of the evidence that constitutes the legal arsenal of the United States government in its quest to convict
him of drug smuggling and the trafficking of illegal guns.
Coke, a strongman who was toppled from his Tivoli Gardens
throne by the Jamaica army and extradited last Thursday after a monthlong manhunt, will also have to prove that he can bankroll
his preferred legal team from untain-ted funds.
Like his court hearing in Kingston last week, yesterday's session
at a Manhattan federal court ran approximately 15 minutes.
Court-assigned attorney Russell Neufeld was accompanied
by Coke's potential legal team - Frank Doddato, Steven Rosen and Nicolas Matassini - the latter telling The Gleaner that he
would be the frontman of the defence triumvirate if Coke could present proof, in 30 days, that his money was clean.
Matassini said he was the lead counsel in the defence of Norris 'Deedo' Nembhard, a Jamaican who was extradited and convicted
of drug-smuggling and money-laundering charges.
Dudus all but presidential
Though there were the standard
security checks at the courthouse, there was little indication that this was the preliminary appearance of a man described
by the United States as one of the world's most dangerous drug kingpins.
Coke, who is being held at the Metropolitan
Detention Centre - a block away from the courthouse - entered the room in navy blue prison overalls, his slow, deliberate
gait a contrast to the swagger of the one-time 'President', as he was known across Jamaica. He said nothing during the session.
Neufeld complained to Judge Robert Patterson, who presided over yesterday's hearing, that his client had not been
granted permission to receive government documents that were crucial to the case. The judge set August 25 as the date for
him, Coke's lawyers and prosecutors to conference. The evidence should be with his legal team before then.
Coke's
next court hearing will be on September 7.
After yesterday's session, Doddato told The Gleaner "the ball is
now in play", and that Coke was optimistic, despite the frustrations associated with his detention.
"He's
a real gentleman, completely different from what has been reported in the media. He's in very good spirits.
"He's
not happy with being segregated and he expressed his love for Jesus," Doddato said, adding that the legal team spent
two hours with Coke on Sunday.
The calm vista seen through the windows of the 24th floor - of the Brooklyn Bridge,
with the Manhattan Bridge in the distance - was worlds away from the high-rises of Tivoli which, last month was turned into
a bloody battleground which claimed 74 lives.
Colourful support
The courthouse was not bereft of Jamaican
flavour, as about 35 supporters of Coke, including friends and family, insisted - before and after the hearing - that their
man was innocent.
One woman, who gave her name as Susan and claimed that she once lived in Tivoli, said she had
stopped cooking to come to court because she has known Coke since he was a child.
"Justice is going to prevail.
We a go support him to the end. God a go do it fi him. Good over evil, mi seh!" said the woman.
Most of Coke's
supporters said they were from the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and other sections of the Tristate Area.
Another friend
of Susan's interrupted: "Di man have fi get a good lawyer. Prepaid lawyer nah go work," obviously in reference to
fears that less-pricey state lawyers may handicap Coke's defence.
Even during the hearing there was a brief sideshow.
As a thick silence hung in the courtroom at 4:05 p.m. EDT (3:05 p.m. Jamaica time) - the start time - it was broken by the
shrill ring of a cellphone. A family member was quickly escorted out of the room.
When the hearing ended, a relative,
who, like others, requested anonymity, said: "Them nah treat him right. Him cyaah get no visit. Them treating him like
an animal. He has only been accused, not convicted, so why treat him like a criminal?"
Added an aunt: "He's
my nephew and I support him. I know he's going to get through this trouble and trial. We not going to leave him. And I hope
Jamaica supports him and stands by him."
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