Vybz KartelPopular dancehall deejay Adidja ‘Vybz Kartel’ Palmer, has been named as one six “major persons of interest” who are being sought by the St. Catherine South Police. The police are reportedly asking him to turn himself in at any Police Station in Portmore or any Police Station across the island. Vybz Kartel’s publicist, Ms. RAINE INC, had no comment, no update and no idea why the police wanted to question him.

Significantly though, the State of Emergency that was imposed last month in Kingston & St. Andrew during the security forces’ assault on Tivoli Gardens, was recently extended to include the parish of St. Catherine. As they did last month in Kingston and St. Andrew, where certain alleged gang and area leaders were randomly called in for questioning, it now seems that the police have extended this activity to the parish of St. Catherine.

Vybz Kartel is not known to be an area or gang leader, so him being placed on what is in effect a ‘WANTED’ list has certainly raised eyebrows. Under the rules of the State of Emergency, the police have the power to “arrest and detain persons whose behaviour gives reasonable grounds for suspecting that he/she is acting in a manner prejudicial to public safety or has committed an offence against the Regulations … such persons to be detained up to a period not exceeding 24 hours and power to detain for a further five days on the authority of a Resident Magistrate or a police officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent.“

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