Tommy Lee Sparta‘s ongoing legal battle with the Dominican government took a turn for the worst for the deejay and the promoter.
Tommy Lee Sparta, whose real name is Leroy Russell, is suing the Domincan government for denying him entry into the country in 2014 resulting in the cancellation of his concert. The promoter of the event, Cabral Douglas, also filed a case against state but was shot down by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
Douglas filed his case against the island on August 24, 2016, but on Monday, the CCJ handed down a ruling dismissing his case barring him from suing the island. “The Court emphasized that it was not possible to access the Original Jurisdiction merely because another person’s rights under the Treaty may have been breached,” the CCJ said in a release.
The promoter claimed in his legal docs that the decision by the Dominican government caused him great financial loss and damaged his reputation. Tommy Lee Sparta was the headlining act on the February 23, 2014 concert but upon his arrival he and his entourage which includes his then manager Heavy D were detained and deported the next day back to Jamaica. The dancehall artist complained that he was treated inhumane and was forced to sleep on cold concrete in a jail cell. Authorities on the island says the deejay posed a threat to public safety with his lewd music that glorifies the devil, violence, and lawlessness.
Tommy Lee is also suing Dominica for US$3 million but that case is still pending.
