Elephant Man received a new court date for his ongoing immigration breach case.
The coronavirus pandemic has forced many processes to be revamped as we try to continue business as usual with the new restrictions. Alas, court proceedings all over the globe have been rescheduled as a result of the disease outbreak, and many judges have allowed hearings to take place virtually. Dancehall artiste Elephant Man who is currently facing charges for breaching the Immigration Act in Jamaica, was initially scheduled to appear in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on April 15. However, he made the court appearance via video conference on Friday (April 24) and was then scheduled for a new hearing on September 4, according to his lawyer Christopher Townsend.
“The prosecution has until next Thursday to present their evidence,” the deejay’s attorney said. Elephant Man is reportedly facing charges of breaching the Immigration Act for allegedly withholding critical details about his travel history on his declaration form. The dancehall deejay who arrived on the island through the Norman Manley International airport in late March failed to advise immigration officers that he had recently traveled to Germany, which is a country that is currently on Jamaica’s temporary ban list.
Admitting that he had been in Germany while touring in Europe would have required the dancehall artist to isolate for at least 14 days. It’s hard to imagine that that would have been worse than this drawn-out court case and possible fines and jail time.
Elephant Man is facing a fine of JM$100 for the offense if he is convicted, according to the Immigration Act. According to another piece of legislation, more specifically, the Quarantine Act, convicted offenders could face a fine of up to $500,000 or even imprisonment.
According to expert attorney Peter Champagnie, regardless of the outcome, offenders might not even get a rap sheet.
