On November 30 Vybz Kartel, the dancehall star who has been incarcerated since late September for drug possession and murder charges, was reported to have broken out of prison with seven other inmates around 1 a.m. that morning. Various web sites reported rumors of a hostage situation that held the Jamaican facility spellbound in a Hollywood style prison break drama involving guards suffering gunshot wounds and even one heart attack. It all turned out to be a hoax.
Authorities at Denham Town Police station, the closest police station to the Jamaican prison facility, were unaware of the reports. Assistant Commissioner of Police Les Green also told the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday morning he knew nothing of the reported prison break, saying “I know nothing about that. If that had taken place I would would certainly have known.”
Later that same day, Christian Tavares-Finson, Vybz’s lawyer, dispelled the rumor in an exclusive interview with Boomshots, saying he and the rapper, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, were in court the morning of the alleged escape and that his client is still in police custody. When Tavares-Finson was asked what Kartel’s reaction to the rumor was, the lawyer said Vybz laughed.
He also said in the interview “As far as incidents with escaping from custody, our position is very simple: it is an attempt to prejudice the case against Adidja Palmer. As it is here now, he’s going to go through a series of bail applications as the case progresses. When you have issues like these arising, it does create some concern for the public and the court itself.”
In a surprising turn of events, a $35,000 bail was accepted for one of Kartel’s two murder counts, he remains in prison for the foreseeable future.
Mark Okhakumhe
