The fiancée of dancehall artist Vybz Kartel is sharing her feelings of joy and relief as she expressed to Urban Islandz that she and his family are awaiting the moment they can be reunited.
Sidem Ozturk has been with Vybz Kartel for more than eight (8) years, and while their relationship has been private, the two have shared that they are engaged to be married. Ozturk, a British citizen, lives in Jamaica but was at the court on Thursday morning to hear the decision of Jamaica’s highest court, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
In a comment to Urban Islandz, Ozturk revealed that she is optimistic that the artist will be freed following the decision of the Privy Council.
“It feels amazing to claim victory in a case that has been going on for over a decade. I am confident that he will be released soon as there is very little chance of a retrial based on the precedence that the privy council has set. I know that, like me, his family wants to see him at home as well. God is on his side. InshAllah,” she said.
Ozturk also said the decision by the court is bittersweet but she is confident that the judiciary will do all it can ensure that justice is served.
“Bittersweet, yes, because on the one hand, he won the appeal, but on the other hand, he has to wait on the Jamaican side to know his fate, but like I said, I’m super confident that he will be released because clearly the council has set the parameters for the way this case is to be handled moving forward and I know justice will be served in his favour.”
Kartel also reacted to the judgment. A statement shared by Ozturk by the artist says that he felt “victorious” at the ruling by the Privy Council.
He also asserted that he was innocent and that a grave injustice was done to him.
“I feel victorious in this very moment as the Privy council In their infinite wisdom, understood the assignment and remedied the situation by quashing my conviction!. I am now back to being an innocent man in the eyes of the law. A grave injustice was done to me and my co accused in the original trial and subsequently Isat Buchanan, John Clarke, David Hislop, Hugh Southey, Julian Malins and Allesandra Labeach pleaded my cause and my cries were heard in the land’s highest court,” the artist said.
The Privy Council on Thursday said in handing down the judgment that while trial judge Lennox Campbell was dealing with a lengthy and complex trial, he failed to properly consider the matter of a juror offering bribes to other jurors. The prosecution had argued that even if the judge needed to do more by addressing the jury on the alleged bribery, it was not material to prejudice Kartel and the co-accused because there was overwhelming evidence against them.
The attorneys for the appellants, however, said that the judge should have properly discharged the jury because there were several acts of alleged bribe, and the risk of bias against the appellants was high since many of them would have associated acts of bribery with the appellants.
Lawyers for Vybz Kartel and Shawn Storm have indicated that they are preparing to make an application to the Court of Appeal for bail.
In the meantime, Kartel, whose health has deteriorated considerably in jail, has spent 13 years behind bars along with his co-accused Shawn Campbell, Andre St. John, and Kahira Jones. The artist has been diagnosed with Grave’s disease and a heart condition. On Thursday morning, he reacted that he longed to enjoy a proper dinner.
