BY BRIAN BONITTO—
Associate Editor —
Dexta Daps—
Dexta Daps’s lead attorney, Peter Champagnie QC, will be seeking to get his client released today when he appears in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court in Half-Way-Tree.
The dancehall singjay has been detained at Hunts Bay Police Station in Kingston since last Wednesday.
“I’m seeking the court’s intervention because he has been there for an extended period of time. I’m advised that he is detained under the state of emergency, but there are some arguments that I am seeking to put before the court for them to intervene, because there are some issues that I would have with the procedure. But it’s all geared towards seeking a release,” Champagnie told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.
Dexta Daps is also being represented by Kemar Robinson.
Persons breaching the state of emergency can be detained for up to 90 days.
Champagnie stressed that under the state of emergency, “abuses” can occur.
“By and large, the majority of youngsters who are unable to access legal representation are detained in an inordinate manner… I am concerned. And my concern not only goes to my client, because fortunately he’s able to access legal representation, but what about the many others? When he [Dexta Daps] was picked up, about 20 or 30 other persons, I am told, were taken up as well. I don’t know what is the fate of those individuals… I don’t know if they have legal representation; I don’t know if they have been released,” said the attorney.
Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Jamaica, there has been a downscaling of operations in the courts.
“There are emergency cases, and I would urge, this is one of them,” said Champagnie.
According to the police, Dexta Daps and several other people were brought in last Wednesday afternoon for questioning with regard to gang-related activities in the St Andrew South area.
A 14-second video of the singjay being escorted in handcuffs by police officers in the Seaview Gardens community of St Andrew made the rounds on social media. Several residents were also seen protesting his detention.
Hailing from the Seaview Gardens community, Dexta Daps is known for songs including Morning Love, Chinese Jordan, Cheat On You, and Shabba Madda Pot.
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