Newsmaker of the Year: Vybz Kartel’s release from prison

Jamaica's news landscape in 2024 was a whirlwind of controversy, triumph and tragedy, marked by a dizzying pace of developments that captivated the nation and beyond.

From high-profile statutory, procedural, court and verbal sparring and battles between Prime Minister Andrew Holness and the Integrity Commission (IC), as well as shocking crimes like the Cherry Tree Lane mass shootings in Clarendon, to remarkable achievements like an 11-year-old boy passing CSEC English language, to the devastating impact of category four Hurricane Beryl, the past year has been a robust and unrelenting ride, with each news cycle bringing fresh surprises and stirring conversations.

Amidst that turbulent backdrop, one story stood out for its impact, intrigue and relevance: the release from prison of controversial dancehall star Adidja Palmer, popularly known as Vybz Kartel.

After almost 13 years behind bars, the Jamaican dancehall star walked out of prison a free man on July 31, 2024. His release was met with a hefty mix of celebration and controversy, making him the clear Newsmaker of the Year locally.

Vybz Kartel (with face covered) on his emergence from the Tower Stree Adult Correctional Centre in downtown Kingston on July 31 this year.

Kartel's conviction for the 2011 murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams was overturned by the UK Privy Council on March 14, 2024, due to juror misconduct, with the local court being given the option of having a retrial.

The convictions were also overturned for his then co-accused Kahira Jones, Shawn 'Shawn Storm' Campbell, and Andre St John.

The four men were initially arrested and charged with the killing of their friend, Williams, allegedly over missing guns, in 2011.

The four men were held shortly after the killing, and were convicted and sentenced in 2014, a verdict which was subsequently upheld by the local Court of Appeal.

But the UK Privy Council earlier this year quashed their convictions, concluding that the decision by the then trial judge in the murder case to allow the a tainted juror to remain on the panel was "fatal" to the safety of the men’s murder conviction.

The trial judge's decision also infringed the men’s "fundamental right to a fair hearing under the Jamaican Constitution," the UK Privy Council indicated.

Instead of opting to free the men altogether, the Privy Council sent the matter back to the Jamaican Court of Appeal for a decision to be made on whether the men should be retried or freed.

After heated arguments in mid-June for and against a retrial, the Court of Appeal said "powerful" factors against ordering a retrial, including the health of Kartel, far outweighed the prosecution’s push for a fresh trial that would likely be held in about 2026.

The court described that potential delay in a new trial as being "inordinate".

Additionally, in opting against ordering a fresh trial for the four men, Court of Appeal President, Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop, pointed to "the potential prejudice to at least two of the appellants who, if convicted after a new trial, would be required to serve a longer term of imprisonment before eligibility for parole than that which was originally imposed on them after their first trial, due to the operation of the statutory mandatory minimum for the offence."

She also weighed the psychological, financial and medical effect that a new trial would likely have on the appellants who had already spent 13 years in custody, which was demonstrated by medical and other affidavit evidence.

In elaborating on that point, McDonald-Bishop said: "We looked at the medical problems relating to the appellant Palmer (Kartel), which came through medical reports that stand unchallenged by the crown, and therefore, speak to declining health in the penal institution."

While Kartel, Campbell and St John walked free from the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre in downtown Kingston on Wednesday, July 31, Jones remains incarcerated because he is serving a sentence in an unrelated case.

From jubilation in the streets of downtown Kingston to Kartel's birthplace of Waterford, St Catherine, many Jamaicans celebrated widely when the news came at about 2:30 pm that their beloved deejay, along with Kahira Jones, Shawn Campbell, and Andre St John, would not be retried for the killing.

By Kartel's side as he walked from the prison was his fiancé, Turkish social media personality, Sidem Ozturk.

But even as social media users and the fans on the ground expressed joy hours after his release, there were some immediate concerns about the perceived health of the entertainer.

Photographs and videos went viral on social media at the time showing the entertainer with noticeable physical transformations, such as the swollen look of his face, a bloated abdomen, and obvious issues with one of his legs.

Also, his voice appeared to have noticeably changed.

But Kartel has since shrugged off such concerns about his health, even getting back to how he sounds, releasing new music, travelling overseas and, of course, making controversial utterances mostly on social media.

Among the controversial remarks that have been made by the 'Summer Time' entertainer was one in August during one of his many interviews since being released from prison. It went viral when Kartel said that he owes "no parent" any positive "message" to raise his or her children.

In the snippet of a wider video from the interview, Kartel asserted that, "Mi nuh owe nobody nuh message.

"Yuh nuh see how mi yute dem grow, and mi always tell people if yuh a look fi artiste raise your kids, you have already lost as a parent."

The 'Ramping Shop' deejay continued: "What kind of parenting skills yuh have that yuh want a man weh bleach out and full a tattoo and tell the gal dem fi skin out and s*#k this and s%#k that?

"A dah man deh yuh wah raise yuh pickney, sir? A dah man deh yuh want raise yuh pickney, miss? Really?" asked the 'Any Weather' deejay.

Then, he sent tongues wagging when he appeared at the annual conference of the Opposition People's National Party (PNP) in September, alongside his attorney and now PNP's candidate for East Portland, Isat Buchanan.

The entertainer's presence electrified the crowd, especially when the disk jockey played some of his hard-hitting tracks, including 'Never Scared (Nuh Fraid A Nobody)'. Kartel, at that time, raised his fist in a salute, this while the crowd erupted. He, however, did not address the conference.

Vybz Kartel at the People's National Party's (PNP) annual conference inside the National Arena in St Andrew in September of this year. 

But political commentators largely said the artiste's presence at the conference was a poor decision by the PNP, which effectively overshadowed the speeches by party officials, including PNP President and Opposition Leader, Mark Golding.

However, PNP Chairman, Dr Angela Brown Burke, defended Kartel's present at the conference days after his appearance there, stating that he had been freed by the court and the country was still a democracy, making him free to attend the political event.

In October, Kartel again made headlines when a video went viral of him being assisted out of a popular nightclub in St Andrew after reportedly falling ill. The 'Comet' deejay was subsequently declared to be fine after the incident, and resumed his regular postings on his social media accounts.

The artiste is set to close out the year in the news, and could make headlines as early as New Year's Day 2025, as his 'Freedom Street' concert is eagerly anticipated by fans for New Year's Eve, December 31, at the National Stadium in St Andrew.

Some persons are pondering whether, given his health challenges, Kartel will be able to perform at his best for an extended period, at the event.

Notable Mentions

With 2024 being a news-rich year, there were several developments that were featured in Loop's weekly Newsmaker of the Week feature, which are worth outlining.

1.Cherry Tree Lane massacre

This unfortunate tragedy which the police said was caused by gang violence, could only be described as a devastating tragedy that shook the nation, leaving many in mourning and searching for answers. It made both local and international headlines. 

Aiden Bartley, an eight-year-old boy, was among the eight persons killed in the incident, where nine others were also wounded on Sunday, August 11, 2024 in what has been widely labelled the Cherry Tree Lane Massacre in Four Paths, Clarendon.

The others killed were Roger Messam, 48; Magaret Bonner, 40; Cavel Daley, 26; Diamond Bennett, a 20-year-old cashier; Errol Stewart, a butcher, 68, also known as ‘Wagga’; Jermaine Boothe, 33, also known as ‘Blacks’; and 50-year-old Lawrence Francis.

Two men have since been charged with the killings, and were remanded in custody after several appearances in the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston.

They are Dushane Smalling, 28, otherwise called ‘Snowman’, of North Street in May Pen, and Leighton Whyte, 32, otherwise called ‘Bands’, of Havannah Heights, both in Clarendon.

Another suspect, Steve Smith, was killed by cops during an armed firefight between him and law enforcers.

It was reported that on the day in question, about 8:45 pm, the two accused men, along with Steve Smith and other men, who were all armed with handguns, drove to the Cherry Tree Lane community, where a birthday party was being held, and fired at a group of persons.

In the aftermath, eight persons were confirmed dead and nine injured.

The year was also marked by other mass shootings, the latest of which occurred along Waltham Park Road when five men were shot and killed by gunmen on November 25. The incident was also said to be gang-related.

2. Nigel Clarke's Resignation and 2-2 result in by-elections

The news of the departure of Dr Nigel Clarke as the island's Finance and the Public Service Minister, and from the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) as Member of Parliament (MP) for North West St Andrew, caused a political earthquake locally, stunning most local news teams.

Clarke is now serving as a Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a role which he assumed on October 31, 2024.

In what was one of his first interviews in late August since the news emerged that his local political career would end in October, Clarke said he was not abandoning Jamaica.

Dr Nigel Clarke on his feet in Parliament.

"I wouldn't describe myself as abandoning Jamaica... It's certainly bittersweet in terms of this sort of a new challenge that has been presented to me," he said then.

The then minister said Jamaica's economy is in a good place and he is confident that the economic programmes will continue under his successor.

Clarke has been a key figure in Jamaica's economic development, serving as arguably the second most powerful minister in the Cabinet since 2018. He has been instrumental in navigating the country through a number of economic crises, including the challenges that were brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, and leading the public sector through the contentious compensation review process, during which the island's politicians received a massive hike in their salaries, causing outrage in the public domain.

One could argue that Clarke's then pending departure led to a series of political movements in the country, including a surprise by-election in North East St Ann, which saw Matthew Samuda winning that seat, replacing Marsha Smith on September 30.

On Wednesday, October 30 when Clarke resigned officially, two parliamentary by-elections were announced by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, one of which was for North West St Andrew constituency, where Duane Smith, who was a three-term councillor for the Chancery Hall Division in the same constituency once held by his father, Derrick Smith, for 29 years, was announced as the JLP candidate.

The younger Smith eventually won that by-election that was held on November 22.

Marisa 'Mama D' Dalrymple-Philibert, also returned to the House of Representatives as MP for South Trelawny after winning a by-election held on the same date, this after she resigned last year following an Integrity Commission (IC) report.

However, the governing JLP lost the two parochial by-elections in the Aenon Town Division in Northern Clarendon, which it previously held, and the Morant Bay Division in the St Thomas Municipal Corporation (STMC). This sent off chatter that the JLP was bruised heading into its annual conference two days later, but party officials downplayed the defeats, and instead said both parochial divisions were PNP strongholds.

3. Hurricane Beryl, other weather events, and earthquakes

The passage of Hurricane Beryl on July 3 caused widespread destruction, costing Jamaica $32 billion, and sent the economy into decline, according to the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ).

The economy contracted by 2.8 per cent in the July to September 2024 period as a result, PIOJ Director General Dr Wayne Henry said, adding that agriculture, mining, tourism and infrastructure services experienced the greatest impact.

Amid those developments, during the hurricane's passage, a video went viral of persons dancing during the powerful weather system on East Queen Street in downtown Kingston.

Other Jamaicans, however, were left petrified as the category four hurricane skirted Jamaica's south east, leaving homes, especially roofs, damaged. The southern parishes of St Elizabeth, Clarendon and Manchester were mostly affected, and electrical supply did not return to some residents until weeks after the hurricane.

Rafting units in total destruction in Trelawny after the passage of Hurricane Beryl.

Locals took out their frustrations on the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), and Energy Minister Daryl Vaz came to their defence, calling on JPS to act swiftly to return electrical supply to those who did not have power.

Two persons died from situations relative to the hurricane.

They were 26-year-old Kayon Sterling, who was killed on Wednesday, July 3 when a tree limb fell on her outside her house in Green Island, Hanover; and 26-year-old Alrick Moncrieffe, alias 'Kalonji', who was swept away by floodwaters in the Trench Town gully while trying trying to retrieve a football.

The passage of Tropical Storm Rafael further complicated the island's recovery from Beryl, and has caused damages to the island's road network.

Lingering rainfalls from other weather systems in November further worsened the situation of the dire state of the nation's roads, leading to the Government rolling out at least four programmes geared towards the repairing of various roads nationally.

The island was rocked by several earthquakes this year, leading to Jamaicans sharing their fears that a massive earthquake will impact the island soon.

Two of the largest to be felt in the island this year was on Sunday, November 10. The first earthquake was measured at 5.6, which occurred at 10:50 am. The second one occurred an hour later, and had a magnitude of 6.5. Both quakes were located approx 150 to 152 kilometres north of Ocho Rios, St Ann.

Another strong quake was felt locally one early morning last week.

4. Andrew Holness vs Integrity Commission

An eye-opening report on the ‘statutories’ and financial affairs of Prime Minister Andrew Holness dominated headlines in the latter months of 2024, and is expected to continue to be mentioned in headlines well into 2025, as well as on the general election campaign in that year.

The Supreme Court has given Holness the greenlight to apply for judicial review of the Integrity Commission's (IC) report on his statutory declarations and other financial matters.

In a high-stakes legal battle, Holness, in his application to the court, sought to have the IC's investigation report on his ‘statutories’ declared "unlawful" and "unfair".

The IC’s findings in relation to its illicit enrichment probe of the country’s head of Government were inconclusive, and referrals were made to the FID and Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ), with the IC indicating that it remains unable to certify the prime minister’s statutory declarations for 2021 and 2022.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness

The IC said it had difficulty sorting through the business dealings of several companies that are/were affiliated with the prime minister, including several that filed nil tax returns with the TAJ, despite recording millions of dollars of transactions.

And while that matter is bubbling in the courts, Holness and the IC could potentially square off in another matter in the Supreme Court.

In early December, the IC released a 63-page investigation report which outlined that a company, Estatebridge, which it connected to Holness, was in the process of building an apartment complex in Beverly Hills, St Andrew in breach of the building permits that were granted by the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC).

According to the report, four units comprising four bedrooms each are being constructed where approval was given for two-bedroom units only.

While the commission has linked Estatebridge to Holness, the prime minister has denied any connection to the company.

“Having read the report of the Integrity Commission, I am concerned that I am being targeted,” Holness stated before proceeding to correct some points that were raised in the report.

“Firstly, I am not a director of the company (Estatebridge) which is the subject of the report, and I am not a shareholder in the company, nor do I own the property in question. Therefore, it is a puzzle to me why I am a subject of this report,” said Holness.

He said he will let his lawyers assess the report.

The report also blasted the KSAMC for being negligent in its oversight of the construction, accusing its officers of not being truthful in their inspection reports which showed compliance when there was non-compliance.

While officers of the KSAMC claimed that there were no breaches, the IC said their claim belied the facts on the ground.

The prime minister, in pushing back, said the KSAMC is the competent authority to arrive at that conclusion, and he will consult his lawyers.

The KSAMC has since indicated that there were breaches on the project, and it is now unclear what the present positions of the developer and the municipal authority are.

5. 11-y-o boy's CSEC English A pass

The remarkable display of academic prowess by 11-year-old Kemuel Brown who passed English A at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level, impressed social media users and was one of the most commented on stories in the 'Newsmaker of the Week' series for 2024.

Kemuel's inspiring story has resonated well with the public, as many students leave high school without a pass in English language, which is one of the two core subjects, including mathematics, that are required to fill most jobs locally, or to pursue further academic qualifications.

To earn a Grade 2 in English A while in grade six at Morant Bay High School in St Thomas amid preparing for the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations, made the feat even more impressive.

To match that achievement, Kemuel was successful in his PEP examinations, earning a place at St George's College in Kingston.

6. Boy brings gun to Ocho Rios High

The year was filled with horrific stories of violence in schools. One such story which stunned the nation featured a 14-year-old boy who allegedly brought an illegal firearm to Ocho Rios High School in St Ann. While the weapon was being handled inside a classroom, it accidentally went off and a bullet hit a 12-year-old female student in her thigh.

The ‘gun holder’ was subsequently charged with wounding with intent with the use of a prohibited weapon, head of the St Ann police, Senior Superintendent Dwight Powell, said at the time.

The incident resulted in calls for more urgent interventions to address the issue of student behaviour at schools.