Beenie Man is not in police custody despite recent reporting.
Legendary dancehall deejay Beenie Man is now enduring one of the greatest emotional sufferings one can bear, the death of his mother, Lilieth Sewell. It is believed that Sewell, who is also affectionately called ‘Mama Lilieth, succumbed to the effects of a stroke that she suffered sometime last year. As if that wasn’t enough, there are now rumors claiming that the dancehall icon was arrested for breaching the COVID-19 law imposed by the Jamaican government.
It is quite customary for Caribbean locals to put on extravagant multiple days celebrations surrounding the death of a loved one. While the exact planning behind the celebration of life for Mama Lilieth is unknown, it is obvious that word got around since scores of persons turned up to the gathering. The crowd, which consisted of more than the 15 persons, was in breach of the number allowed under the Disaster Risk Management Act. The excessive numbers eventually led to a law enforcement team calling the curtains on the gathering. Social media was quickly set ablaze with rumors that Beenie Man was arrested for breaching the law implemented by Prime Minister Andrew Holness to stem the rise of COVID-19 cases on the island.
However, The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has now denied those rumors, explaining that the entertainer was never taken from the premises.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Stephanie Lindsay, who heads the JCF’s Corporate Communications Unit, said, “He’s not in police custody,” and, “no, he wasn’t.” In her explanation to The Gleaner, she said, “He was instructed to close it off. He did comply and the fact that he complied then, there would be no need to arrest him.”
The number of active COVID-19 cases on the island has increased tremendously over the last couple of months. This has ultimately led to the reimplementation of a daily island-wide curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
With the virus now reaching the community level of transmission, citizens are being asked to wear a mask whenever stepping foot outside of their homes.
Condolences to Beenie Man and his family on the passing of his mother.
