Livern Barrett, Gleaner Writer

Yet another bail application made on behalf of embattled Jamaican entertainer Vybz Kartel was turned down in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

The entertainer, who has been in custody since last October, had sought bail on charges that he and protégè Gaza Slim, whose given name is Vanessa Saddler, conspired and attempted to pervert the course of justice in one of the two murder charges brought against him.

However, Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey, in denying the bail application, pointed to the serious nature of the other cases the controversial dancehall artist, whose given name is Adidja Palmer, has before the courts.

After the ruling, one of Palmer’s attorneys, Christian Tavares-Finson toldThe Gleaner he was examining the possibility of going to the Supreme Court to seek bail on the new charges.

Tavares-Finson said he has asked the magistrate to outline her reasons for not granting the bail request in writing and will then “sit down with him (Palmer) and look very closely at this option (going to the Supreme Court).”

Palmer has been in custody since October 1 last year when he and four persons were arrested at a New Kingston hotel for ganja possession.

Four days later he was charged with the murder of St Catherine businessman/promoter Barrington Burton, who was shot dead in the parish last July.

The entertainer was slapped with a second murder charge on October 24, when the police alleged that he and members of his entourage had been implicated in the killing of Clive Williams in Havendale, St Andrew, last August.

Assault claim

The charges of conspiracy and attempting to pervert the course of justice, which were filed last month, came after Saddler filed a report with the St Andrew North Police claiming Williams had assaulted her during a robbery on October 29.

Police investigators believe this was an attempt to help Palmer’s defence.

Palmer was granted bail in the sum of $3 million in the Supreme Court last December in the case involving Burton.

However, he has not been able to take up the offer because the other cases are still pending.

livern.barrett@gleanerjm.com