Vybz Kartel’s Former Attorney To Represent Maroon Chief In Gun Permit Matter
Days after Buju Banton declared that he was putting the Government of Jamaica “on blast” for what he said were attempts to malign Accompong Maroon leader Richard Currie over firearm renewal issues, the chief has retained Vybz Kartel’s former attorney, Valerie Neita-Robertson, to represent him in relation to questions about his weapons.
Buju’s had taken to Instagram on Monday, a few hours after the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the embattled Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA), Shane Dalling, had told the media at a press conference, that Currie was in breach of the Firearms Act, as he had failed to renew the licenses for his two firearms after they had expired.
But in a media statement on Thursday afternoon, Currie’s attorney declared that the statement by Dalling about the Maroon’s weapons, was not only “irresponsible and grossly unprofessional”, but that the “announcement of her client’s private matters, runs contrary to the policy of the FLA regarding privacy and security”.
According to her, information relating to a firearm holder, should never be discussed in the public domain, and that Dalling’s utterances showed that he had a blatant disregard for Currie’s safety, Nationwide News Network reported.
Neita-Robertson said that the FLA had not contacted Chief Currie regarding the matter of his firearms, and neither had the organisation ordered him to surrender his weapon. In fact, the Queens Counsel said that by practice, the FLA would usually warn the license firearm holder about renewal.
Neita-Robertson represented Vybz Kartel in an appeal against his murder conviction. The appeal, which was filed in 2018, was largely dismissed in April 2020.
During a FLA press conference on Monday, Dalling had said that the Maroon Chief was issued with two gun permits, “which are now out of date”.
“Based on my checks, Mr Currie is in breach. His license is not up to date. He has not done the renewal process and as such, the matter has been referred to the police for them to assist,” he was reported as telling the Jamaica Observer.
On Monday morning, amidst accusations of corruption at the Firearm Licensing Authority, which sparked the press conference, Dalling had said that 200 people with criminal convictions or adverse traces, were granted firearm licences between 2014 and 2017. He also said that numbered among them was Reggae artist Jah Cure.
A Gleaner news report had noted that some of the gun permit applicants had convictions for murder, firearm offences, and drug trafficking.
Dalling had said, among other things, that “one well known don was given four gun permits” and a convict who returned to Jamaica after being extradited, tried and sentenced in the United States was also given four gun permits.
According to the report, the FLA boss had said that the rogue applicants had initially been denied permits by the same board which granted them the permits, and that the reasons for the denial of the gun permit applications were on the files of the applicants.
In the case of Jah Cure, whose given name is Siccature Alcock, the board had rejected the Royal Soldier artist a licence in June 2015, on the basis that he was not “fit and proper”.
However Dalling had said 10 weeks later, the Hanover native’s permit was signed and approved, even though there was a notation that he had been previously convicted for rape and illegal possession of a firearm. He said eventually, Jah Cure’s gun license was revoked.
Back in July 2017, the under-fire members of the Firearm Licensing Authority’s board had insisted that they were not corrupt, and that they saw no reason for them to recuse themselves, even as a high-level probe of the alleged granting of gun licences to criminals was intensifying.
Dennis Wright, the then chairman of the board, had insisted that the members were not involved in any shenanigans, but were the initiator of talks with the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) earlier that year, which led to the investigation of more than 100 gun licences, according to The Gleaner. Wright had also argued that the allegations which included claims of senior FLA members selling gun licences, were, according to him, acts of “mischief”.