Buju Banton Blasts Gov’t, FLA For ‘Taking Set’ On Maroon Chief Richard Currie

A hopping mad Buju Banton says he is putting the Government of Jamaica “on blast” for what he describes as the administration’s reprobate attempts to malign  Accompong Maroon, Chief Richard Currie.

Buju’s took to Instagram two hours after the Jamaica Observer published an article quoting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the embattled Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA), Shane Dalling, as saying that Currie, was in breach of the Firearms Act, as he had not renewed the licenses for his two firearms after they had expired.

He captioned a video post: “How many times have we seen these wicked men kill out our people using [their] system of oppression? You cannot kill our Chief”.

“In most recent times like today, the Jamaica Observer published an article stating that the Maroon Chief is in breach of the Jamaica Firearms Act, which we clearly see as a blatant ploy by the Jamaican crime Minister to hurt this young man and to hurt many of us who stand up and see the wicked criminality being perpetrated by the Jamaican politicians on the Jamaican populace,” Buju said.

Seemingly alluding to another report surfacing today, that the Firearms Licensing Authority had issued 200 firearm licenses to people, including Jah Cure,  with criminal convictions or adverse traces between 2014 and 2017, Buju said the number of guns owned by criminals, outstrips that of law-abiding citizens of Jamaica.

“Here in Jamaica the criminals have more guns than the lawful, legal people dem in dis country.  The criminals run around wanton; wi have police criminal, soldier criminal – all kinda criminal.  And our crime minister’s friends are the biggest criminals and they have all the guns in this country.  So when you want to blame the chief as of having an illegal weapon, because you want to destroy him and destroy him credibility, it is not right.  And we want the world to keep a close look at this,” Buju stated.

“Because you see, our Crime Minister has just passed a legislation that illegal firearm holders – the people who have illegal firearm must get life in prison or dem fi kill dem on spot.   We don’t put anything past these criminals, so therefore, they are the real criminals who a run dis country with a criminal grip because they are criminal masterminds.   And this is another ploy with criminal intent to hurt another citizen of this country.  And we putting it on blast!  Thank you!” Buju said, as he ended his minute-long statement.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaAtflQpykr/

This afternoon, the Jamaica Observer had stated in the article referenced by Buju, that during a FLA press conference this morning, the CEO had said that the Maroon Chief was issued with two gun permits, “which are now out of date”.

“Based on my checks, Mr Currie is in breach. His license is not up to date. He has not done the renewal process and as such, the matter has been referred to the police for them to assist,” Dalling reportedly said.

Earlier today, amidst accusations of corruption at the Firearm Licensing Authority, which sparked the press conference, Dalling had said that 200 people with criminal convictions or adverse traces, were granted firearm licences between 2014 and 2017, among them Reggae artist Jah Cure.

According to a Gleaner report, some of the gun permit applicants had convictions for murder, firearm offences, and drug trafficking.

Dalling had said that “one well known don was given four gun permits” and a convict who returned to Jamaica after being extradited, tried and sentenced in the United States was also given four gun permits.

According to the newspaper report, the FLA boss had said that the miscreant applicants had initially been denied permits by the same board that granted them the permits, and that the reasons for the denial of the gun permit applications were on the files of the applicants.

He said that in Jah Cure’s case, the board denied the Call On Me singer a licence in June 2015 on the basis that he was not “fit and proper” shortly after he was released from prison.

However, he said 10 weeks later the permit was signed and approved, even though there was a notation that he had been previously convicted for rape and illegal possession of a firearm.  He said eventually, Jah Cure’s gun license was revoked.

“What was curious was that the board was reversing decisions of the previous board. One board would deny the licence on the basis that the person wasn’t fit and proper and although the new board has no new application before it or no new information, approved the person on a willy-nilly basis,” said Dalling.

In July 2017, the under-fire board of the Firearm Licensing Authority had insisted that they were not corrupt, and that they saw no reason for them to temporarily step aside even as a high-level probe of the alleged granting of gun licences to criminals was intensifying.

Dennis Wright, the chairman of the board, had insisted that the members were not involved in any skulduggery, and were actually the initiator of talks with the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) earlier that year, which led to the investigation of more than 100 gun licences, according to The Gleaner.   Wright had also argued that the allegations which included claims of senior FLA members selling gun licences, were, according to him, acts of “mischief”.