Vybz Kartel suggested the government had burnt down the office building in Kingston
Vybz Kartel, whose original name is Adidja Palmer suggested the government had burnt down an office building in Kingston.
The office building located on Duke Street in downtown Kingston, which was utilized by at least seven attorneys, was completely destroyed by a fire last Thursday. The building contained vital documents for several legal cases, including papers pertinent to the Vybz Kartel murder trial, which is a high-profile case. The loss of these documents could have significant implications for the proceedings of these court matters.
Vybz Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer made the damning allegation on his X account that the government is responsible.
He wrote, Feds bwoy dem bun dung John Clark/Isat Buchanan office thinking they could destroy the files. It’s 2024, files are stored on cloud u fuckin idiots!
Even though Jamaica’s governmental structure is not typically described as “the Feds,” the term “Feds” is commonly used as a shorthand for the FBI. In broader contexts, it can also refer to the DEA, ATF, ICE, or potentially NCIS and the Coast Guard, among other federal law enforcement agencies, all of which are components of the government system.
According to reports, an urgent investigation was conducted to ascertain the cause of the blaze. The investigators have not yet revealed conclusive findings, but suspect that faulty wiring may be the culprit. The attorneys left with no physical offices are now scrambling to find alternative means to serve their clients.
There was apprehension regarding the issue of replacing lost legal documents. These documents, some of which date back several decades, constituted the primary records for numerous ongoing and previous legal cases. The disaster has significantly hindered the progress of the Vybz Kartel murder trial, which has already experienced several delays for various reasons.
Despite fears that the documents were destroyed in the fire, the attorneys for Vybz Kartel, Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell, and Andre St John have undertaken measures to secure their clients’ release by filing a habeas corpus application in the Supreme Court. Of the trio, Vybz Kartel, legally known as Adidja Palmer, is the main subject. This same legal team has also filed an appeal for their release following the judgement from the Privy Council.
However, the habeas corpus application hearing is to continue later in the month after an adjournment on Monday. According to Isat Buchanan, the attorney representing Vybz Kartel, the hearing was rescheduled as the judge believes the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to be an interested party, requiring the formal submission of paperwork from their end. The government need to respond by May 20. Currently, Kartel and his co-accused are housed at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre after their conviction on March 13, 2014, for the murder of ‘Lizard’ Williams, a crime that took place in 2011. The Privy Council overturned the conviction on March 14, 2024, and called for a decision on whether they should face a retrial for this murder. The hearing for the retrial is set for June 10.
The incident has prompted numerous calls from within the legal community for an urgent need to digitize vital legal documents and papers to prevent such unprecedented losses. Such digital archives would not only help in disaster management but also streamline document access and case handling. This disaster sheds light on the vulnerabilities of the current record-keeping system and emphasizes the need for a more secure, digitally integrated system.