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Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Cham Outraged By Jamaican Gov’t’s ‘Double Standards’ Amid Mocha Fest Breaches

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Beenie Man Cham Bounty Killer
Beenie Man, Cham, Bounty Killer

Dancehall stars Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, and Baby Cham have expressed outrage with the Jamaican government’s alleged double standards as it pertains to the staging of the ‘Mocha Fest’ parties in breach of COVID-19 regulations while the local entertainment industry still remains under a strict lockdown.

Mocha Fest, an event that was being advertised on the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) website, is a 5-day festival of 8 parties that is held every Memorial Day weekend (May 24 – May 31) in Negril, Jamaica. The events have been in full swing this week despite the island-wide curfews and mandatory COVID-19 protocols.

The Jamaica public became privy to the parties when videos began circulating online showing revelers at Rick’s Cafe not wearing masks or even social distancing. It didn’t take long before the likes of Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, and Baby Cham caught wind of the news.

Beenie in particular, who was charged and later fined JA $150,000 earlier this month for breaching the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA) at an event held in St Elizabeth last year November, called out the government’s double standard in allowing a tourist-only event to be held while permits for the local entertainment industry to do the same remains a moot point.

Rick’s Cafe has since had its COVID-19 permit revoked with immediate effect and has issued a public apology expressing regret for breaching the protocols.

However, Beenie took to social media to say he too apologized for breaching the COVID-19 regulation but was still slapped with a costly fine.

The Do You Want To Be That Guy singer stated in his post: “I guess my apology was not good enough. I am not above the law, but some people are. #Jamaica #DoubleStandard.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPbJZmKrb9O/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Bounty also joined in on the matter via Instagram, tagging Prime Minister Andrew Holness while bringing up the charges that were laid on Beenie and even the probes that were carried out on Usain Bolt over violating COVID regulations at his birthday party last August.

Killer wrote: “@andrewholnessjm Unuh charged the pastor lady and also @kingbeenieman who is a true ambassador for country and its culture we had problem with that but lets see what’s gonna happen to Rick’s Cafe now if is a triple standard thing a gwaan?🤔”

“Unuh even launched big investigation pon we Olympian Hero @usainbolt for a little small party gatherings comparing to this one week’s event that was held POOR PPL FED UP all little movie star Trevor also had to pay big fine unuh friends needs to pay to unuh too wicked to jah ppl bout ya✔️.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPbHBWEJkBm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Beenie responded to Bounty’s post to say that there was simply no respect for Jamaicans on a whole, adding the officials rather ‘suffocate’ the entertainment industry so the tourism sector can flourish.

“One thing Coronavirus show up in Jamaica is the double standard and lack of respect for us as Jamaicans is at it’s peak bredda. Dem see one video ads wid me and a problem. And look yah now 7 day festival dem promote on JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD. Affi laugh iyah. Dem a suffocate we industry while foreign promoters get freedom to do weh them want,” Beenie wrote.

Baby Cham also hopped on Instagram to weigh in on the issue, sharing a video of a very crowded Mocha Fest.

He too directly tagged the Prime Minister asking for answers.

“I see that the jamaica tourist board received an 8 day permit outside of the current order to keep their festival while the entire entertainment industry is on a #lockdown!!! @andrewholnessjm what should we take away from this?? Leave your comment below please!!” Cham wrote.

Holness Responds

The PM, however, said he is quite aware of the Rick’s Café issue and that investigations were launched into the party series with the assistance of local authorities.

“I am aware of and I am paying careful attention to the issue of a party which was held in breach of our Covid-19 protocols. The issue brings to light what has been loosely termed “Two Jamaicas”. This is one country with one system of laws which will be equally applied both to those who have and those who do not,” he stated on his official Instagram page today.

Mr. Holness also addressed his concerns in a press briefing earlier today.

“There is a particular situation that has come on our radar this morning. One that I have to pay careful attention to because it throws up something that we are always contending within our society. The unequalness of the society – the haves and the have nots. Why is it that some people are allowed to party and others are not. The unequal nature of the society,” he said.

The Prime Minister confirmed that the Tourism Product Development Company Ltd (TPDCo) has withdrawn Rick’s Café’s Covid-19 compliance certification with immediate effect and shared a press release from the Ministry of Local Government & Rural Development ordering the closing of Rick’s Café.

The Jamaica Tourist Board has since released a statement claiming that no undertaking for sponsorship or endorsement of Mocha Fest was issued nor was the case for similar activities since the start of the pandemic.

They also expressed dismay that their logo was included in the promotion of the event.

JTB also explained why the event’s listing was on their website. “The dates for these events are typically set years in advance and listed on the site to facilitate pre-planning for visitors and travel agents that sell the destination. We regret the oversight that the events section has remained on our website during the pandemic, and we have made a decision to disable this section on the site until further notice.”

As for Rick’s Café, they will be required to undergo a re-certification exercise to ensure strict adherence to the established COVID-19 Health and Safety protocols before they can be allowed to accept visitors again.

Jamaicans React

Meanwhile, some social media users have reacted to the blatant double standards allowing foreigners to party at events like Mocha Fest and yet locals can’t.

“MochaFest is a slap in the face to local entertainment? Hell, no! It’s a whole tump dung to all Jamaicans who have been holding steadfast, ensuring we respect protocols; parents and children who are struggling with virtual schooling; frontline workers who sacrifice their lives,” said one Twitter user.

Another added, “The outrage will prompt some action for now, but the conversation needs to be focused on practical ways to re-open entertainment in Jamaica.”

Reggae Singer, Naomi Cowan also joined in on Twitter saying, “I FEEL A WAY. For over a year we have been constantly squeezing our studio time, writing, creativity & productivity within a curfew window. Unless we apply for exemptions for shoots…. meanwhile on the west end.”

In true Jamaican form, others made humor of it all…