POPULAR sound system operator Caveman, in association with deejay Sizzla, was instrumental in the establishment of a recording studio in Zimbabwe and is now constructing another in South Africa.

At the start of the year Sizzla, who one newspaper from the continent reports, has since christened himself Ishe Sizzla Kalonji, was invited to Zimbabwe, courtesy of that country's tourism authority in conjunction with the Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity, to participate in the 21st February Movement Gala and President Robert Mugabe's 86th birthday celebration.

Everton ‘Caveman’ Moore (left) shares a moment with reggae artiste Sizzla, during their recent trip to Africa.

Included in Ishe Sizzla's entourage was Caveman (Everton Moore), who gained widespread attention at home and abroad for his sound system called Caveman International High Power, through which he has introduced many to numerous Jamaican artistes, including Sizzla.

Although Sizzla has been back from Zimbabwe since April, Caveman has just returned only two weeks ago. "The 21st February Movement Youth movement is a programme that President Mugabe initiated for the youths dem coinciding with his 86th birthday. So he invited Sizzla Kalonji and myself to be there... I stayed there to set up a studio called Munuhputah," Caveman told Splash.

"Because when we went there," he continued, "we heard that Bob Marley, when he was going to perform there, buy a brand new PA system and left it. He never took it out of the country. And they have Bob as a National Hero there."

Having said that, the first cousin of Lee 'Scratch' Perry added: "The studio is up and running. The people dem need reggae and there is no one there to get it going. But mi have programmes running, and mi have a next studio setting up in South Africa, too. Went there for two months and stayed for seven months. It's so overwhelming, it's like the people dem need help, the people dem need reggae and there's no one there to help them get it going. "

Still excited about the experience of his first sojourn to Africa, Caveman also spoke about his trip to Ghana, all of which came about because of his his lifelong relationship with Sizzla.

Expressing his deep appreciation for this opportunity which connected him to his ancestry, Caveman, who is in possession of a return ticket to Africa, admitted, "It is the best thing that ever happened to me. That I could go back and touch the Motherland and say yes... I feel so connected going there and being among the people dem. The people dem make me feel at home.

"I don't know when the Western world will catch up to where Africa is now. In terms of infrastructure, in terms of good livity. I was so surprised when I went there and I said to myself, why the Western media keep miseducating the people dem. Mi go deh and see fi myself what is what."

TAMPA, Florida — Ian Thomas, a co-defendant of jailed Reggae singer Buju Banton, is expected to be called to the witness stand this morning by lawyers representing the artiste.

He last week signed a plea deal and agreed to testify for the prosecution but on Monday when the trial began, lead prosecutor Jim Preston signalled to the court that the prosecution has no intention of calling Thomas to the stand.

BANTON...awaiting verdict.

Thomas and James Mack, who has also accepted a plea deal and opted not to give evidence of behalf of Banton in fear being given a harsher sentence, were arrested during a undercover drug operation at a police controlled warehouse in Saratoga, Tampa in December. They were attempting to purchase seven kilogrammes of cocaine from undercover police officers.

Thomas is expected to be the final witness called by the defence. After his testimony the defence and prosecution are expected to present their final arguments to the 14-member jury before Judge Jim Moody hands down his summation of the case.

All three are charged with attempting to possess with intent to distribute five or more kilogrammes of cocaine a charge which carries a minimum sentence of 20 years to life and a fine of up to US$4 million.

So far a Drug Enforcement Agent and a government informant have told the court that they had no concrete evidence that Banton was a drug dealer. The prosecution has however played audio and video footage which shows the artiste tasting cocaine in a Florida warehouse and making statements asking the informant Alexander Johnson, where he could acquire cocaine.

DEA agent testifies in Buju's favour

Says he has no evidence reggae singer is a drug dealer

TAMPA, Florida — Drug Enforcement Agent Daniel McCeaffrey, today testified that he had no evidence that Reggae singer Buju Banton, was involved in illicit drug dealing.

McCeaffrey, who gave evidence on the first day of the trial at the Gibbons US Federal Court in downtown Tampa, said there was no evidence that Buju Banton — whose real name is Mark Myrie — received any money from any drug deal.

Banton...Appeared confident in court. (Observer file photo)

He also said even though he was investigating Banton for a year, he could find no evidence that the artiste had collected any money from drug dealing.

He made the revelation during cross-examination from Banton's attorney David Markus.

Markus, in his opening salvo, told the 14-member panel of jurors that he would prove that Myrie was not a drug trafficker and had never invested in illicit drug dealing. He said that artiste would waive his right not to testify.

"He's got nothing to hide because the truth is on his side in this case," Markus said.

He said his client's big mistake was that he loved to talk. Markus said Myrie met DEA informant Alexander Johnson, a Colombian national, on a flight from Madrid Spain to Florida last year and during conversation Johnson introduced the subject of drug dealing to him.

He said Myrie had in fact tasted cocaine but that did not qualify him as a drug dealer.

Markus also argued that Myrie did not know about the US$130,000 that his co-defendant James Mack had been held with. The money he said was given to Mack by two men identified as 'Ike' and 'Tike' from Atlanta, Georgia.

The attorney said Mack and Ian Thomas were the ones who were dealing drugs and said his client made a decision not to partake in any deal and went to his Tamarac home in Florida, where he was arrested in December last year.

Mack and Thomas have taken plea deals and have agreed to testify against the artiste. All three are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five or more kilogrammes of cocaine. The charge carries a sentence of 20 years to life and a fine of up to US$4 million.

Prosecutor Jim Preston argued that he would prove that Myrie is a known drug dealer who invested in multi-million dollar drug enterprises and he was arrested because he was starting a new venture.

Forensic chemist Alexandra Gongra also gave evidence that the substance that Thomas and Mack were arrested with was cocaine.

Telephone records analyst Donnie Godshoal also gave evidence today.

Dozens of Banton's supporters turned up outside the court to show their solidarity with the four time Grammy nominee.

His former manager Donovan Germaine, VP Records President Chris Chin and Deejay Delly Ranks were also present for the trial.

Deejay accused of beating girlfriend

THE St Andrew North Police last night confirmed the arrest of dancehall entertainer Rodney Pryce, more popularly known as Bounty Killer.

Deputy Superintendent Altermoth Campbell, anti-crime boss at the Constant Spring Police Station, said the entertainer was picked up after a female companion turned up at the station bleeding and reported that he had assaulted her.

Second co-defendant signs plea bargain deal to testify against J’can reggae artiste

'BUJU Banton' is facing further woes after James Mack, the second co-defendant in the drug case against him yesterday signed a plea bargain deal with the United States District Attorney, agreeing to testify against the Jamaican reggae singer.

Mack's deal comes five days after another co-defendant, Ian Thomas, also agreed to give evidence against the four-time Grammy nominee whose correct name is Mark Myrie.

BANTON… faces court next Monday

Banton was arrested at his home at Tamarac, South Florida hours after his two co-defendants, Ian Thomas and James Mack, were arrested during an alleged drug bust in an undercover operation at a warehouse in Sarasota, Florida in December last year.

The trial against Banton is expected to start on Monday at the Middle District Court in the Florida city of Tampa.

All three are charged with conspiracy to possess more than five kilogrammes of cocaine with intent to distribute, while Mack is facing a charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offence.

The drug charge carries a minimum sentence of 20 years to life in addition to a fine of up to US$4 million, while the firearm charge carries a sentence of five years to life and a fine of up to US$250,000.

Both Mack and Thomas, in their plea deals, have agreed to give evidence to assist the US Government in building a case against Banton, in exchange for lesser sentences.

The Observer yesterday obtained copies of the two 17-page plea agreements which bears the signatures of both men.

The documents said: "Defendant agrees to fully co-operate with the United States in the investigation and prosecution of other persons, and to testify, subject to a prosecution for perjury or making a false statement, fully and truthfully before any federal court proceeding or federal grand jury in connection with the charges in this case."

According to the allegations:

* two or more persons in some way or manner came to mutual understanding to try to accomplish a common and unlawful plan, as charged in the indictment; and

* that the defendant, knowing the unlawful purpose of the plan, willfully joined in it.

The US Government, however, offered to drop the latter against Thomas, in exchange for his testimony.

Under US law, a plea agreement is signed between the defendant and prosecutors and has no bearing on the sentence a judge may impose, although at times judges act on the recommendation of prosecutors.

Banton has maintained his innocence and insists that he was entrapped. His lawyer, David Oscar Markus, intends to argue that the US Government paid an informant US$35,000 to snare his client.

On Tuesday, before Mack signed the plea deal, Markus expressed confidence that Banton would walk free at the end of the trial.

"This is a federal court and we are as confident as you can be in a federal court. Buju is innocent and we are hoping the jury will see through the Government's charade," Markus told the Observer.

Markus said, too, that he was not to worried about Thomas' decision to testify against the singer as part of a plea deal. "If he speaks the truth he won't hurt us," he said Tuesday.

The attorney was not available for comment yesterday.

Mack's agreement to give evidence against Banton is an about-turn on his earlier position after he signed an affidavit on Friday that he never knew Buju Banton before his arrest and that the artiste had no knowledge of the money and gun that were in his car.

Officials at the Pineolas County Jail have moved Banton to the Citrus County Jail, which is about 75 minutes north of Tampa, as the prosecution gets ready for the trial.