Vybz Kartel will be focusing on his health as he looks forward to being released from behind bars following a UK Privy Council ruling to squash his 2014 murder conviction. The dancehall legend’s attorney says he has found God while behind bars.
Vybz Kartel, real name Adidja Palmer, and his co-defendants, Kahira Jones and close confident Shawn ‘Storm’ Campbell, are anticipating a release from prison after almost 14 years. His fourth co-defendant, Andre St. John, would likely remain incarcerated on a separate case.
A member of the former Portmore Empire deejay’s team told Urban Islandz on Friday that his core focus will be his health as he is very confident he will be released sometime soon. We’re told that his health was a key reason for his expedited hearing in the UK Privy Council, as being incarcerated put him at a severe disadvantage in receiving proper medical care.
“The focus will be on his health and wellness because a years now he don’t get the proper medical attention for his condition,” sources told us. “It’s only his faith and resilience why he is still alive right now and I fear that the powers that be wanted to keep him locked up knowing that his health was rapidly deteriorating.”
Despite his medical condition, revealed to stem from a thyroid condition, Vybz Kartel remained in good spirit leading up to the Privy Council ruling a week ago. “He has always been in good spirit, like every time we get to see him or talk to him he was always the same jovial person we know and that also helped us to be in good spirit also its like he was giving us strength all while he has been suffering in that place,” we’re told. “It’s time to put the issue to bed and release this innocent man.”
Vybz Kartel’s lead appeal attorney, Isat Buchanan, who is currently taking a victory lap, shared some of the same sentiments in an interview with The Fix podcast this week. Buchanan says his legal team is now awaiting the letter from the Privy Council to the Court of Appeal in Jamaica, which will have the final ruling on whether to grant a retrial or dismiss the case in its entirety, thus freeing the four men from the charges.
“I figured when that letter come there are consideration that I know in terms of the compassion of the court because the court in 2024, they don’t waste time and remember this was a hearing that was an expedited hearing on the grounds of his medical illness,” Buchanan shared. “It was granted on his medical position so that is not stripped away simply because it’s passed back here, the court will act under the same mandate and deal with it expeditiously.”
“Thirteen years is a long time,” Buchanan added. “There were times when I did visit him and yeah and I stopped and the humanity; you realize that this is a lot and I say yow yuh affi hold it. One of the proudest things I would say is that he found God. He is interacting with that faith. He was never doubtful, he always wanted his day in court. He is excited, he is looking forward to be reunited with his family. Same for the other three co-accused.”
Despite his lengthy incarceration, Vybz Kartel managed to remain relevant in the dancehall space as he released a ton of new music over the years, including several bodies of work. The artist will undoubtedly continue building his legacy if he is released from behind bars. However, his priority will be his health.
