Extra protection has been afforded to Jamaica’s former Minister of Youth and Culture and member of Parliament for South Eastern St Ann, Lisa Hanna, after her life was threatened after calling for the banning of popular entertainer Vybz Kartel’s music from radio.
Hanna was the subject of a sea of threats via social media after she called for an investigation into the methods the imprisoned entertainer employed to record music while behind bars. Hanna called the music of Vybz Kartel to be banished from radio as he was a convicted felon and should not be allowed to invade the public space and still enjoy idol-like status among the nation’s impressionable youth.
The threats have prompted police in the island to warn the perpetrators that if they are caught they will be prosecuted under the Cyber Crimes Act which states that it is illegal to utilize social media to threaten or malign an individual’s character.
Since Hanna’s call during a Nationwide 90FM interview with broadcaster, Cliff Hughes, debate has raged on the topic.
Under Jamaican law no convict should be allowed to earn or practice their trade while incarcerated. However fans of the DJ see Hanna’s call for a ban on his music as an attempt to muzzle him and are up in arms.
Vybz Kartel is still on remand as he has appealed a life sentence he received for the 2015 murder of his crony, Clive “Lizard” Williams at his house in Havendale, St Andrew. He will be eligible for parole after serving 35 years of his sentence.
He was previously housed at the New Horizon Remand Center at Spanish Town Road in Kingston where it is suspected that he had free reign to record songs and smuggle them out on the streets. He has since been transferred to the Tower Street Adult Correctional Center (formerly known as the General Penitentiary) after the cries grew louder that his songs were flooding the streets at an alarming rate.
