Buju now free to perform at Miami concert

BY PAUL HENRY Crime/Court co-ordinator henryp@jamaicaobserver.com

Thursday, December 02, 2010

COME next January, scores of fans will be able to watch Buju Banton perform live for the first time since his arrest last year in the United States on cocaine and weapon charges.

The way was made clear yesterday for Banton to appear on the January 16 show in Miami, Florida, when Judge James Moody overturned a previous decision by Magistrate Judge Anthony Porcelli not to grant the Jamaican-born artiste permission to perform on the reggae show.

Banton, whose real name is Mark Myrie, had on November 23 applied for permission to perform at the concert, originally scheduled for December 26, but Porcelli dismissed the motion on the grounds that the artiste was a flight risk.

But in overturning the ruling yesterday, Moody noted that the issue had already been addressed when Banton was released on US$250,000-bail in October.

"It is therefore ordered and adjudged, defendant's appeal... is granted; the defendant is permitted to work... as outlined... as long as the security measures referred to the affidavit (Dkt #195) are provided," stated Moody's written ruling.

The concert, dubbed Before The Dawn, will be held at the Bay Front Amphitheatre in downtown Miami and will feature Banton and other prominent reggae artistes. The concert, which is being produced by Rockers Island, is named after Banton's album, released in September while he was behind bars.

David Oscar Markus, who is the singer's lead attorney, was grateful for the ruling, which will allow his client to earn much needed income to pay Albert of Florida Agency of Investigations for his security detail, which is costing US$20,000 monthly.

"We are thankful to Judge Moody for letting Buju work. It was surprising that the government opposed it even though they have no problem paying a convicted drug dealer and IRS scammer $3.5 million for setting people up," Markus said Observer.

Banton was held in the Pinellas County Jail for 11 months after being hauled out of his home in Tamarac, South Florida following the arrest of James Mack and Ian Thomas during a sting operation in Tampa, Florida last year December.

Both were held attempting to purchase five kilogrammes of cocaine from undercover agents in a police controlled warehouse and have pleaded guilty.

The convicted "drug dealer" of whom Markus referred is Alexander Johnson, who gave evidence against Banton during the artiste's trial in September. The trial ended in a hung jury. A second trial is scheduled for next year February.

Banton's legal team had contended during the trial that Banton was entrapped by the US Government with Johnson's aid.

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Buju now free to perform at Miami concert