Late last month, the dancehall/reggae/hip hop collaboration “Like I See It” by dancehall/reggae stars Jah Cure and Mavado alongside American rapper Rick Ross hit the airwaves. This track has been in steady rotation, but just in case you haven’t heard it, check out the video below:


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The ‘General' Bounty Killer, who is accused of assaulting his girlfriend (Racquel Smith) with a hammer and a mosquito zapper, appeared in the Corporate Area Criminal Court earlier today, where the court was told by the complainant that she wanted to drop the charges and pursue the mediation route instead. Possibly because of Bounty Killer’s previous appearances before the local courts on similar charges, the judge was not having it however, and she denied the request for the case to be dropped.

Bounty Killer was allowed bail in the sum of $500,000, and is booked to stand trial on November 9.

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After deliberating for some hours on Thursday, all day on Friday and part of Monday, the juror foreman in the Buju Banton trial told the presiding judge that the 12 member jury panel was split evenly. This even split meant that they were unable to reach the unanimous decision that was required to find him either guilty or not guilty. The judge asked them to keep trying, and then again, at around 3pm today, the panel said it was hopelessly stalled. With this news the judge declared a mistrial.

Buju Banton's lawyer has made an application for bail for his client, and was told that the court will hear the application tomorrow.ill receive (hear) the application tomorrow.
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Jurors in the Buju Banton trial went back deliberating a verdict at 9:50 am Tampa time after Judge Jim Moody answered a query from them.

They wanted to know if a crime had taken place on December 10 when Ian Thomas and James Mac were arrested, in a sting operation.

Moody told them yes, that a crime had been comitted.

"Your job is to decide whether or not Mr Myrie was involved in that crime," Moody told the jurors.

Meanwhile, a supporter of Banton's who visited him in jail last night told the Observer minutes ago that the entertainer was in good spirits.

"His spirit was up. He said he had faith," Donovan Rae, who is here from Los Angeles, said after the jurors returned to the jury room.

Another supporter from Los Angeles asked that fans pray and put their trust in God that the jurors will return a not guilty verdict.

"In every desert of uncertainty there is an oasis of grace and mercy and the truth shall prevail," said Laura Owens.

Source

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The second day in the Buju Banton drug conspiracy trial has commenced in Tampa, Florida. The day began with alleged recordings of telephone conversations between Banton and a Police Informant: Mr. Alexander Johnson being presented to the court. Prosecutors examined audio evidence taped over a 5 month period of Banton reportedly discussing drug deals, dollar amounts and the best way to transport drugs including cocaine from Panama to Europe in frozen crates of seafood.

Banton's fans who had turned out in droves for the trial, were also stunned by the recordings which were played out aloud to the court. According to eye witnesses the fans appeared deflated after coming off of a high on Monday when the chief investigator in the matter said he had no evidence that Banton was involved in cocaine trafficking. Yesterday as the tapes were being played, one women could be seen with her head in her hands and covering her ears. Others sat attentively, captivated by the conversations between Banton and Johnson, a convicted drug trafficker who has been working with the US Government since 1996 to sting other dealers. Banton was also heard asking Johnson if he had any connections to buy cocaine as he was willing to finance a deal. He also told Johnson that he did not have contacts in Venezuala, Panama and other parts of South America, but that he was involved with smuggling diamonds from Africa to Europe.

We have also heard reports that Prosecutors presented a video of Johnson, Banton and Thomas (co-accused) in a warehouse in Sarasota. In it, Thomas cuts a package containing approximately a kilo of cocaine. Banton is seen taking a knife cutting the package, wiping the knife and tasting his finger.

Notably, when Buju’s lawyer cross examined  Johnson later in the day, Johnson agreed that the artiste did not finance the drug deal for which he, along with the two co-accused was arrested and charged. Johnson also admitted under cross examination that Banton had never purchased any cocaine in Panama or Colombia, and that their dealings never went beyond a talk.

But prosecutors say what is clear is that Banton wanted to put up money to buy cocaine. Below you can see a transcript of the tape that was played in court:

"All I do is finance," Banton told Johnson during the restaurant meeting, transcripts show.

"So you give the money to buy dope?" Johnson asked.

"Yes," said Banton, according to transcripts.

Defense attorney David Markus has argued that while his client talked about drug dealing, he never actually funded any.

"Did Mr. Myrie invest one dollar of money into a drug deal?" Markus asked Johnson during cross examination.

"With me — no," Johnson answered.

During another conversation on August 1st at a South Florida Hotel, Banton and Johnson discussed buying kilos of cocaine from Panama and transporting them to Europe in containers filled with frozen seafood.

Johnson told Banton he had a seafood business called Frozen Fish, the transcripts show.

Johnson turned informer in 1996 after being convicted of distributing cocaine and marijuana. He was paid $50,000 in the Banton case, according to testimony.

During a conversation at a Sarasota restaurant on Dec. 8, Banton admitted to Johnson he was having money problems. "My truck is in the shop and I can't get it out," Banton said. "I'm going to concentrate, though; things are going to be straight next year."

It was on that day that Banton brought an associate named Ian Thomas along for lunch with Johnson. Banton described Thomas as a "friend who had contacts to purchase kilos of cocaine," Johnson said in court.

Johnson told Banton he would give him 5 extra kilos of cocaine if Thomas and his associate, a man named James Mack, purchased 20 kilos.

Another video shows Thomas and Mack being arrested while attempting to purchase cocaine at the warehouse two days later. Banton was arrested later that day at his South Florida home.

"So that 5-kilo deal for Mr. Myrie never happened, did it?" Markus asked Johnson.

"No," Johnson said.

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