Kartel trial for November

Adijah Vybz Kartel Palmer

THE TRIAL of dancehall entertainer Vybz Kartel and the five other men charged jointly with him for the murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams is to start in the Home Circuit Court on November 18.
Williams was allegedly beaten to death on August 16, 2011, over the disappearance of an illegal gun.
Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, along with fellow entertainer Shawn Campbell, popularly known as Shawn Storm, fashion designer Calvin Haye, André St John, carpenter Shane Williams and Kahira Jones are accused of murdering Williams at Kartel's home in Havendale, St Andrew.
Yesterday, attorney-at-law Michael Lorne, who is representing Campbell, made another bail application for him.
Justice Sarah Thompson James said she saw no change of circumstances to warrant granting him bail.
Attorney-at-law Tom Tavares-Finson, who is representing Kartel, in commenting on the long delay in having a trial and the outstanding issues of disclosure, had asked the prosecution to do the right thing and ask the judge to grant Kartel bail.
Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Jeremy Taylor, in opposing bail, referred to the seriousness of the offence in respect to both Kartel and Campbell.
Taylor said in respect to Tavares-Finson's suggestion, he was not opposing bail for 23-year-old Shane Williams.
Attorney-at-law Tamika Harris, who is representing Williams, asked the judge to be lenient with the amount being offered for bail.
The judge then offered Williams bail in the sum of $500,000 with one to five sureties. He is to report to the Waterford Police Station every day and must be home between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Calvin Haye is on bail and his bail was extended.
Bail application will be made in chambers later this month for the other accused men, including Kartel.
WITNESS ALLEGEDLY CONTACTED
Taylor, in refusing the request from Tavares-Finson for the prosecution to ask the judge to grant Kartel bail, had referred to allegations that from August 2011, after Williams was murdered, attempts were made by Kartel to get the witness to leave the island, and up to now, the witness' passport was not returned.
Taylor also told the court that up to January this year, attempts were allegedly made from behind bars to pay off the witness with $3 million, and the telephone conversation was witnessed by a senior police officer.
Taylor said the Crown was suggesting that entertainment was not the only business for Kartel, but there was some kind of trade or trafficking in weapons and it was out of that Williams lost his life. He said that sections of the house were burnt after the incident, but representatives from the forensic laboratory found what appeared to be human blood in a section of the house.
Kartel is facing another murder charge for which he has been granted bail.