Who Is Vybz Kartel Attorney? Lawyers Issue Conflicting Statements

A day after reports suggesting that embattled Dancehall superstar, Vybz Kartel has new legal representation, Chris Tavares-Finson, one of the deejay’s lawyers has refuted the claims.

On Monday, it was revealed in a radio interview with Hannah Harris-Barrington, an English-Jamaican lawyer and human rights activist that she has officially taken over as the lead defence attorney for Vybz Kartel. Harris-Barrington intimated that Kartel asked her to become his new lawyer after stating that he no longer had legal representation; meeting with the artiste at the request of his family to discuss the proposition. She also claimed that two other lawyers will join her in representing the self-proclaimed “Worl’ Boss.”

On Tuesday afternoon, Chris Tavares-Finson, one of the lawyers involved in Kartel murder and drug-related cases, vehemently denied that he was sacked by the artiste whose real name is Adidja Palmer.

Tavares-Finson said in a radio interview, “As far as we’re concerned, there has been no changes whatsoever to his representation. We’re moving forward rapidly as far as the preparation of his case.”

The prominent lawyer also clarified that the legal team, consisting of his father, Tom Tavares-Finson and Michael Deans are also still legal representatives of the deejay and will proceed with the case.

However, Harris-Barrington maintained on Tuesday that she was legally authorized by Vybz Kartel to become his new lawyer. Also speaking with the media , Harris-Barrington insisted that she received two letters from Kartel clarifying that she’s officially his attorney-at-law; working on his behalf in his murder cases.

"As far as I was concerned, I asked him ‘Did he have an attorney at that time,’ and he told me that he was no longer dealing with his previous lawyer(s),’ she said.

Harris-Barrington is the lawyer of fellow prominent deejay, Ninja Man, who himself is facing a murder charge in relation to a 2009 incident. His trial is slated to start later this month.

Vybz Kartel faces two murder charges stemming from incidents in July and August respectively as he's alleged to have been directly involved in the deaths of Barrington "Bossie" Burton in St. Catherine and Clive "Lizard" Williams in Havendale, St. Andrew. He also faces a drug charge stemming from his initial arrest in New Kingston on September 29.