Vybz Kartel has suffered a legal setback after a judge denied the Jamaican rapper bail, despite his murder conviction being overturned.
Kartel, along with three other people, was previously convicted of the 2011 murder of associate Clive Williams and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
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The prosecution claims the dancehall star (real name Adidja Azim Palmer) and his associates killed Williams over his failure to return weapons to them.
Kartel’s conviction was overturned earlier this month after it was ruled that one of the trial’s jurors had been bribed.
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Explaining her decision to block the 48-year-old’s release from prison on bail, a Jamaican judge said: “In the absence of a verdict of acquittal by the Privy Council, the charge of murder against the applicants remains in effect while awaiting the decision of the court of appeal.
“Accordingly, it is not correct to say that at this stage the applicants have no charge pending against them. I share the view that the report of the Privy Council does not translate into an order for the release of the applicants.
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“Therefore, as it relates to any changes in the custodial status of the applicants, I agree with the position of counsel for the respondents that until the superintendent in charge of the prison receives an order of acquittal for any of the applicants, he is bound by the existing orders of the court. I find that their present custodial status is not in breach of the constitution.”
Fans of Vybz Kartel gathered outside of the court and visibly protested the ruling as armed police oversaw the situation.
The courts are still deciding whether Kartel and his co-defendants will face a retrial or be freed.
The King of the Dancehall star has suffered a number of health issues since being sent to prison including Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder which causes the eyes to protrude and can be fatal if left untreated.
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“Mr. Palmer’s illness is actually life-threatening,” his lawyer said. “His neck was swollen. If you think of a shirt that is about 18.5 inches in the neck area, you couldn’t close the collar on his neck and that’s how bad it is in this moment.
“His face is actually swollen. And one other thing: he always wears glasses; in this condition, that causes his eyes to protrude.”
