Vybz Kartel not happy about baptism rumours

Popular incarcerated dancehall entertainer Vybz Kartel is reportedly fuming at rumours that are once again swirling that he has turned to Christ and is baptised.

The rumours have been making the rounds in recent weeks with spiritual leaders and gospel artistes expressing that they would welcome such a decision by the deejay, whose given name is Adidja Palmer, as the Christian community has always prayed for him to turn his life around and to start positively influencing his followers.

But, according to the deejay's attorney, Isat Buchanan, Kartel is extremely peeved by the rumours.

"He emphatically denies that he was either baptised or contemplated it and he is certainly not desperate and is offended that the church and others would say that they welcomed him doing that because that is an attack on his position that he is innocent and does not need to repent for anything," the lawyer said he was told by his client.

"And so the fake news is offensive and is an attempt to certainly colour any attempts in the minds of anybody reading in the international space that somehow Christianity is offered as a tool of rehabilitation to people in prison when they don't even have proper running water and facilities, much less to baptise anybody in holy water," he added.

The popular entertainer was convicted in April 2014 for the murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams at a house in Havendale, St Andrew. He was sentenced to life and will have to serve 35 years in prison before being eligible for parole.

Another entertainer Shawn Storm, whose given name is Shawn Campbell, as well as Kahira Jones and Andre St John were also convicted for the August 2011 murder.

Appeal rejected

They were ordered to serve 25 years each before being eligible for parole. Vybz Kartel and his co-convicts had appealed their convictions, but the Court of Appeal rejected the appeal. However, the men were granted conditional leave to take their case to the Privy Council.

In the meantime, Buchanan said that his client is focused on his appeal and is looking forward to his freedom.

"It just appears that somebody wants to make fun of somebody in an unfortunate situation," he added, while scolding the authors of the fake news for being irresponsible and for trying to grab attention.

In 2017, a letter purportedly written by Vybz Kartel had surfaced with similar claims that the artiste was planning to get baptised. The attorney who was representing the entertainer then had dismissed the letter as a hoax.