Vybz Kartel Isn’t Being Treated Special In Prison, Junior Security Minister Insists
Over a week after Vybz Kartel’s Turkish fiancé, Sidem Öztürk revealed that they were getting married, junior national security minister Zavia Mayne has reiterated that the Life Sweet deejay is not getting preferential treatment as he continues to serve a life sentence.
Mayne was speaking on the status of the 46-year-old Worl’ Boss—who is currently an appellant before the UK Privy Council to have his murder conviction overturned.
“As it now stands, he is an individual that has been convicted through the judicial and justice system. He has, at the first instance in the Supreme Court, [been] tried and found guilty. He has appealed and the Court of Appeal has affirmed the ruling of the court below. There is absolutely no reason to treat him specially,” said Mayne, according to the Jamaica Star.
After the Fox5 New York interview with Lisa Evers, on September 27, Kartel was transferred to the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, known as GP, during heavy rainfalls. His attorney Isat Buchanan had publicly condemned the move, citing that it put the entertainer’s life at risk considering his health issues.
Ozturk told Evers that she and Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Azim Palmer, got engaged in the summer of 2022 during an authorized prison visit.
Mayne was asked whether or not the government was aware of Kartel’s engagement.
“I am absolutely in no position to confirm. The best person to confirm would be Mr Kartel, but guess what? Where he is now he can’t help you,” he said.
Mayne, however, noted he has “heard rumours” of illegal recordings and that contraband within the prison system continues to be an issue for the Holness administration.
“…What we do know is that the position of prohibited articles, items, within our correctional facilities has been a challenge for us, and that is something that the Government has taken a keynote of, and we are aggressively pursuing solutions for same,” he told the Star.
Kartel has released hundreds of recordings and eight albums since he was incarcerated in September 2011. His recently released 7-track EP titled True Religion is said to be dedicated to his new fiancé.
In a 2020 interview with Billboard, Kartel sidestepped the question about how he manages to release so much new music from prison.
“Many people say YES! VYBZ IS RECORDING IN PRISON!! But where’s the proof? But this is Jamaica where you don’t need proof to imprison someone. For the record, I’m not authorized to answer such ‘above pay grade’ questions so I’ll say, ‘a tree fell in the forest and no one was there to hear it,” he said at the time.
In March 2020, following the release of his To Tanesha album, officials of the Department of Correctional Services had said actions would be taken against Kartel after what they described as “contraband” was found in his cell.
According to them, they were prompted to raid the cell after officials received reports that Kartel was involved in a live stream with music producer Rvssian, on Instagram.
In July 2022, Deputy Commissioner of Corrections Joyce Stone said that Kartel was not a participant in any rehabilitation program and that any new music recorded by the Dancehall star was being made without permission from the authorities.
“Kartel’s participation in videos or whatever, I must say, it is totally prohibited and has not been approved by the Department of Correctional Services,” Commissioner Stone stated.
“Yes, it is true that we do have music studios, as I mentioned in my presentation. There is a music studio at Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, and yes, it is a fact that it is a part of the rehabilitation program.”
Kartel, who has been in custody since September 29, 2011, and his co-accused Shawn Storm, Kahira Jones, and Andre St John were all sentenced to life after they were found guilty of the murder of their associate Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams in 2014. Kartel was ordered to serve 35 years before he was eligible for parole, while Storm, Jones, and St John were ordered to serve 25 years minimum.
In April 2020, the Jamaica Court of Appeal largely upheld their conviction, but found that the original trial judge had made an oversight during sentencing. The four men’s parole-serving times were reduced by two and a half years each.