Vybz Kartel & Gaza Slim To Answer Conspiracy Charge Today

Jailed dancehall entertainers Vybz Kartel and Gaza Slim are scheduled to appear before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court today to answer to charges of conspiracy and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Vybz Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer and Gaza Slim, christened Vanessa Saddler, were remanded into custody when they appeared in court in December.

The charges stem from allegations that text messages were sent from Vybz Kartel to Gaza Slim's cellphone instructing her to make a report to the Constant Spring police that she had been robbed by Clive 'Lizard' Williams. Williams, is the person whose murder Kartel and his associates — Andre St John, Shawn 'Shawn Storm' Campbell, Cairo Jones, Calvin Haye and Shane Williams — are charged for.

The prosecution is contending that the report was made in order to give the impression that Williams was not dead. But in making a failed bail application for Saddler last month, attorney Pierre Rogers said that the masked man who held up Saddler identified himself as Williams.

Williams is alleged to have been murdered on August 16 over the disappearance of an illegal firearm. His body is yet to be found. The prosecution, however, said they have video and other evidence to prove the murder.

The men are to be tried in the Home Circuit Court for the murder. Kartel, Jones, Campbell and Haye have already been transferred to the circuit court, where they will next appear on January 13.

Williams and St John are to appear in the magistrate's court on January 13 as part of the process to have them join the other accused men in the Home Circuit Court.

On a separate matter, Kartel is to return to the Resident Magistrate's Court on February 13 when he will be tried on a ganja possession charge.

Kartel and his associates are also facing murder and other charges in relation to the shooting death of Barrington 'Bossie' Bryan of Gregory Park, St Catherine in July. He was offered bail to the sum of $3 million in relation to this charge and will next appear in the RM court on today on that charge.