Waterford vows to maintain peace following Kartel's release from prison

By Nakinskie Robinson   

 

Some residents of Waterford in Portmore, St. Catherine have vowed to maintain peace in the community as they remain giddy with excitement following the release of dancehall entertainer Adidja 'Vybz Kartel' Palmer.

 

Garfield Francis, a music producer from Still Yet Productions, who has worked with the artiste, said the community is elated about Kartel's return. 

 

"He's free now. Him gone do him medical check up, which is health first...so we just have to wait and see what's happening and we take it from there, keep the community peaceful same way and we show love. Because at the end of the day, we nuh need fi deh here and like we aguh do nut'n wrong. No, it's nothing like that," he insisted.

 

He said the entertainer's return could boost community tourism and profit for events held at neighbouring dancehall venues. 

 

"Remember Waterford, we have a tourist attraction, as in the Gaza. We have people who come and just taking picture by the wall or by the sign weh wi have round dere weh you see di Gaza City. So just that alone mek people just fly from foreign and just come here, just to take a picture and seh they are on the Gaza," he noted. 

 

As he anticipated a possible entertainment event to celebrate the artiste's release, he suggested the use of the Jamworld Entertainment Complex in Portmore. But he acknowledged that this would depend on the size of the crowd, suggesting the scale of the event could likely overwhelm that venue. 

 

Vybz Kartel and his co-accused, Shawn 'Shawn Storm' Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre 'Mad Sus' St. John were freed on Wednesday.

 

The men were in 2014 convicted for the 2011 murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams but the UK based Privy Council quashed the convictions in March this year and sent the matter back to Jamaica's Court of Appeal to decide whether the men be retried or freed.