Vybz Kartel’s defense lawyer confirms that an independent cellphone expert found fresh evidence of phone tampering.
The dancehall deejay’s Attorney Isat Buchanan appeared on an interview for Fox 5 News in the United States and says that there is now confirmation that the cellphone from which the prosecution based its case in Vybz Kartel’s conviction was tampered with.
Vybz Kartel is seeking to have his 2014 murder conviction vacated on the grounds that evidence used to convict him was fabricated as the phone- a Blackberry Torch and sim card was tampered with while in police custody.
Earlier in the year, defense attorneys successfully got their application for the cellphones to be analyzed by an independent expert approved by the Court of Appeal. The argument that the cellphone evidence was fabricated or tampered with seems to be gaining traction, according to Buchanan, who spoke to Fox 5’s Lisa Evers from Jamaica.
“What was out before the jury was evidence that we do not know if it was authentic but certainly we do now know is that there was tampering of that cellphone,” Buchanan said
According to Evers, Vybz Kartel’s legal team flew in a British Expert who analyzed the cellphones and made the findings. Isat Buchanan, however, did not go further into the case.
Further, Buchanan confirmed that the appeal at the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council was set to be called in a matter of weeks. The attorney said that coupled with the grounds outlining the breach of Kartel’s constitutional rights; he’s hoping that the Privy Council will consider the fresh evidence in favor of Kartel.
“Our hope is that the Privy Council in reviewing the evidence including the fresh evidence that will be put before them will come to the conclusion that everyone has looked at the case, or the persons who have had access to the material certainly will find that the conviction is unsafe and cannot stand,” Buchanan added.
According to Buchanan, the appeal to the Privy Council is seeking an overturn of the conviction so that the “Worl’ Boss” can be free by next year.
He added that a fresh evidence application is to be made in the coming weeks, and the artist remains hopeful.
