Beenie Man Pleads Not Guilty Over Alleged Illegal Party
Dancehall veteran Beenie Man has pleaded not guilty in the St. Elizabeth Parish Court this morning, to charges that he breached the Disaster Risk Management and Noise Abatement Acts in Jamaica.
The singer’s trial will begin on April 19 at the Parish Court.
Beenie Man, whose real name is Moses Davis, was slapped with the two charges in connection to an alleged illegal party in the Shrewsbury district, in the St. Elizabeth parish on November 29. The police turned up at the party, dispersed the crowd, and Beenie was warned for prosecution.
The 47-year-old singer’s promotion of a subsequent New Year’s Eve party in December further earned the ire of police in the St Elizabeth Parish. He was summoned to a Police Station in the parish on January 1, where he was charged for breaching protocols with the November 29th party.
Beenie Man’s lawyer, Roderick Gordon, explained to the media outside Court today that the entertainer was “charged with failing to obtain permission from the Superintendent, contrary to the Noise Abatement Act, and he has been charged with a breach of the curfew contrary to the relevant Disaster Relief Management Order.”
“He has pleaded not guilty to both offenses…so we look forward to that trial,” Gordon added.
If found guilty of breaching the Disaster Risk Management Act, Beenie Man faces a maximum fine of $1 million and/or 12 months’ imprisonment.
First-time offenders of the Noise Abatement Act must pay a fine not exceeding $15,000 or serve a prison term not exceeding three months. For a second offence, they can be fined up to $30,000, or be imprisoned for six months. For a subsequent offence, they can be fined up to $50,000 or 12 months.
Beenie was present for the proceedings and spoke to members of the media outside the Court. “Them charge me for music, so we deh ya about music. So we ah talk to them about music. So it’s matter of the court, so when the proceeding finish then mi cyan tell yuh wha happen,” he said.
When asked how he was feeling and whether he anticipated a positive verdict, Beenie responded, “it’s always a positive vibes when it comes to music. You always get a positive result.”
The Grammy Award-winning artist will release his 19th studio album, Simma, sometime this year. Shaggy, Dexta Daps, Sean Paul, and Major Lazer are among the stars expected to appear.