ah Cure’s reflections – ‘It is all about rehabilitation’

HE WAS evasive about the incident, no longer forceful in his declaration of innocence. He thinks there’s a move afoot to stymie his upcoming appeal for parole. Siccaturie Alcock or Jah Cure wants to get out of jail and believes that the time to do so is drawing near.

“Me get sentence a’ready. Mi nuh know why dem woulda waan come with this again,” he said, looking to the sky. He was referring to a report published in last week’sSunday Gleaner in which the woman he was convicted of raping outlined her ordeal.

According to the rape victim Suzanne Ferguson, she, her two male cousins and her aunt were walking to the Flamingo Nightclub in St. James to play a game of pool when she observed a tinted, two-door Turbo Starlet motor car going in the opposite direction. Within minutes, the group noticed the same car coming slowly back down the road. She took a mental note of the number of the licence plate.

The group went to the club and after spending about two hours there, decided to head back home. On reaching Windsor Road, the car which they had noticed earlier, drove up and blocked their path. Two men were inside. The occupant of the passenger seat jumped out with a gun in his hand and immediately gun-butted one of Suzanne’s male cousins. The gunman then ordered the other cousin to walk over to him. Both cousins were robbed and verbally abused.

VICIOUSLY RAPED

Said Jah Cure: “This can mek me get another sentence. I don’t know if dem ago mek she mek me no get no parole. But that should never be so, because de warder dem a watch me behavioural pattern and if me get hold down because of her argument, den me know sey rehabilitation nuh real.”

The fit-looking Rastafarian in the military-green outfit could have been mistaken for a visitor at the General Penitentiary, the maximum security prison at Tower Street in Kingston.

He is pencil-slim and militant in his manner but still very much the entertainer – a man on stage, and it seems the prison bars cannot hold back his impact. Even on the cell blocks, Jah Cure – currently one of the hottest acts in hard-core reggae – remains larger than life.

Serving a 13-year prison term for rape, Jah Cure has been at the penal facility since 1999, one year after he sexually assaulted a young woman in his hometown of Montego Bay, St. James.

In the interview with The Sunday Gleaner last week, the woman now 25, said she is upset with repeated statements made by Jah Cure, proclaiming his innocence.

However, speaking with The Sunday Gleaner from behind the high brick walls of the Tower Street Correctional Centre, Jah Cure did not offer to tell his side of the story.

Sitting on a chair inside the superintendent’s office, Jah Cure’s laid-back persona changed when he was told that the woman was about to go public with the story that has put him behind bars for the past six years.

“Right now me a rehabilitate and it is not a case of guilty or innocent anymore. It is all about rehabilitation and I am coming out, either or (e)ither, time is winding down,” the entertainer said.

Detective Sergeant Cecil Clarke, a trained forensic specialist, who investigated the case against the singer, told The Sunday Gleaner that no Deoribonucleic Acid (DNA) test had been done because the evidence against him was overwhelming. The matter was a jury trial.

At that time, Det. Sergeant Clarke was the sub-officer in charge of crime at the Coral Gardens Police Station in St. James. He is now based in Westmoreland.

Apart from the positive identification, Det. Sgt. Clarke said the condom which was used by Jah Cure’s accomplice to rape the young woman’s aunt, was found at the scene of the crime in Spring Farm, Montego Bay, St. James.

“When the rape incident was reported to us, we traced the licence plate of the car and the owner turned out to be Siccaturie Alcock, alias ‘Jah Cure’,” the Detective Sergeant said.

“I was able to identify him (Jah Cure) because his voice was distinct. They kept talking in the vehicle. Anywhere I hear that voice, I will always remember it. During the incident, he tried to kiss me and I could smell the ganja scent on his breath,” Suzanne said last week.

According to Clarke, during their investigation, Jah Cure’s mother gave a statement to the police, saying that on the night of the incident, her son was not at her house and she had not seen him, although she had heard that he was somewhere around the place.

The detective said Jah Cure in his statement said on the night of the incident, he was at his mother’s house and had taken a meal of fried chicken for his younger brother.

Jah Cure’s mother Pansita Campbell was again mentioned by Suzanne last week.

“When I had to go over the whole ordeal in court, it was devastating. He (Jah Cure) tried talking to me, trying to say it was not him. He introduced a pregnant woman to me at the courthouse, saying that she was his expectant baby mother. He was trying to get me to become sympathetic toward him. But afterwards, his mother – who was at the courthouse – told me that the woman was neither pregnant for him, nor was she his girlfriend.”

Head of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), Major Richard Reese, toldThe Sunday Gleaner that Jah Cure applied for parole last year but was denied. His case was reviewed by the Appeal Court and the appeal turned down.

“He has not applied so far this year, and even if he gets parole, he will have to be monitored, so he will be unable to travel outside of the country,” said Maj. Reese.

According to Jah Cure, he spends most of his days in prison praying and counselling other inmates and preaching “one house of love”.

He had high praises for the rehabilitation programme at the centre, which he says has worked for him and many others, but he believes it needs a lot more financial support. He has promised to help to finance the programme as soon as he is freed.

“A one thing me a tell de youth dem, just use me as an example and look, because the world want me and because of what me get in trouble for, whether me innocent or guilty, you see sey me have wait until certain time, either dem give you parole or wait on yuh time,” he said.

When asked if he was regretful of any incidents in his past, he paused, then took a deep breath and said: “The only thing me sorry sey, is dat me never get to finish my schooling. Dat a de only thing me sorry bout, but anuh my fault.”

People people why is it that some girl feel dem pretty, love talk in a video bout dem eva cute and say dem a di total pakage. 1 Don’t have a job an a beg man a dance fi get by. 2 How yuh fi seh yuh have good hole and when yuh a dash out gal fi pick it up and caan hold a man fi yourself, why anybody shoulda want it. 3 Even di nu man weh yuh get afi run like thief cause him know you a crosses. 4 You think yuh and everybody a fren yuh nuh see seh di people dem nuh like yuh 2 FLAP DANCE INNA 1 YEAR. 5 How yuh fi be pretty and yuh right eye bigger than the left one in case yuh nuh know it’s called a LAZY EYE. Last but not least people judge fi youself before and after bleaching. Maryland’s waana be fashionista stylas yuh need fi upgrade yuh from the barrell dem and get tv stand

**NIKKI MINE IS SMADDY MAN YUH TEK OH CAUSE DIS SOUNN —–**

RASTA EXPELLED FOR BEING STRAIGHT? – Man claims classmates made advances at him

Crystal Harrison, Star Writer
A 35-year-old rastafarian male student is claiming that he was expelled from his school because he is heterosexual.

Vavadean Dennis recently told THE STAR that in a class of about 24 male students, he was pressured by a group in the class who constantly made sexual advances at him.

“About 20 times dem mek sexual advances at me and a tell me seh I must change my heterosexual ways. I got expelled because dem call me into a meeting and they didn’t even ask me anything, dem just start attacking me saying that mi come fi mash down di school.”

THE STAR understands that Dennis who is pursuing a certificate in plumbing at a Kingston training institute, had several confrontations with administrators at the school.

However, it climaxed last Thursday as he was called in a meeting and told to apologise to his teacher for some recent disrespectful remarks; failing to apologise, Dennis was given a one-week suspension.

compromising position

“Just because me tell dem seh mi nuh want nuh man feel me up, di teacher run me out of the class. When I am in class doing my work, there is a group of guys who try to get me in a compromising position. There was this one time, this 18-year-old youth tried to come up between my legs and so I had to create a scene in the class and all of a sudden mi hear dem a seh mi refer to my teacher as ‘teacher bwoy’.”

He further stated, “sometimes you will look over one side of the classroom and you will see some of the boys exposing them private parts. There was this other time, this next male student was wheezing in my ears, dem even threaten me saying that dem ago hurt me and I want to know if the teachers dem never hear that.”

“I was expelled. Dem call me inna a meeting saying that they are giving me an ultimatum and that I should apologise to the teacher and to the class but I don’t do anything, and I don’t see dem doing anything about these boys who are making sexual advances at me.”

In the meantime, when contact was made with the coordinator at the school, she told us that Dennis was not expelled, instead he was asked to apologise to his teacher and given one-week suspension.

“Dennis is a student who can manage his schoolwork, however, the only problem we have with him is that he is extremely homophobic. Once you are a part of any school you have to interact with other students, and if a male student even walk too close to him, it is a problem and he starts to behave boisterous. It is not the first time a rastafarian has enrolled in the school, but this is the first time we have had complaints about homosexuals causing trouble at our school. We have no evidence of what Dennis is complaining about.

She further lamented, “He needs help, we have tried with him. We are here to help and offer training; but we cannot offer more than what we were equipped to offer. He needs some psychiatric help.”

Dominique Strauss-Kahn: Ex-IMF boss wins New York bail

Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been granted bail by a judge in a New York court, after being formally charged with trying to rape a hotel maid.

Mr Strauss-Kahn had earlier resigned as the International Monetary Fund’s boss.

His lawyers said he was honourable and would not try to abscond. Prosecutors said he had “incentive to flee”.

Supreme Court Justice Michael Obus imposed $1m cash bail and said there must be 24-hour home detention, with an armed guard and electronic monitoring.

The judge said one armed guard must be deployed at all times, at Mr Strauss-Kahn’s expense, and the defendant must surrender all travel documents. In addition to the $1m (£618,000) cash bail, a $5m insurance bond would also apply.

Mr Strauss-Kahn will spend a fourth night at the notorious Rikers Island prison on Thursday before the bail papers are signed.

He will appear in court again on 6 June, when he will formally enter a plea. He has denied all the accusations against him.

‘Life of ease’Mr Strauss-Kahn’s wife, Anne Sinclair, was in court for Thursday’s hearing.

The Frenchman – who was not wearing handcuffs or shackles, but was flanked by four police officers – smiled at her as he entered the Manhattan courtroom.

The prosecution said the $1m bail offer was “unreasonable”

Mr Strauss-Kahn had been denied bail at an earlier hearing on Monday.

But defence lawyers said the prosecution’s bail position was unfair and not consistent with the law.

The prosecution said Mr Strauss-Kahn, 62, had left the alleged crime scene with “unusual haste” and that any bail arrangement would be insufficient.

The judge asked for details of Mr Strauss-Kahn’s financial situation.

The defence said he had a net worth of roughly $2m and offered $1m bail.

Prosecutor John McConnell said this was “unreasonable”, adding: “We are in possession right now of only one passport. We simply don’t know what other documents he has access to or could get.”

He said Mr Strauss-Kahn had the means to live “a life of ease and comfort” in parts of the world “beyond this country’s jurisdiction”.

But Mr Strauss-Kahn’s lawyer, William Taylor, said: “The prospect of Mr Strauss-Kahn teleporting himself to France and living there as an accused sex offender, fugitive, is ludicrous.”

After the ruling, Mr Taylor said: “We want to express our pleasure that the judge has made this decision. It’s great relief to the family to be able to have him with them.”

Anne Sinclair arrives for the court hearing

Mr Strauss-Kahn has now been formally charged following a grand jury hearing, attended on Wednesday by his accuser, a 32-year-old originally from Guinea in west Africa.

The charges set out by the New York district attorney’s office included four felony counts – two of criminal sexual acts, one of attempted rape and one of sexual abuse – plus three misdemeanour offences, including unlawful imprisonment.

Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance said Mr Strauss-Kahn had been indicted on all the charges presented to the grand jury.

The incident allegedly took place at New York’s Sofitel hotel on 14 May.

Mr Strauss-Kahn earlier announced his resignation from the IMF.

In a statement posted on the IMF website late on Wednesday, he said he had resigned with “infinite sadness” but wanted to “devote all my strength, all my time, and all my energy to proving my innocence”.

His resignation has sparked debate about his successor.

Leading voices in Europe say another European should head the fund.

A number of figures have voiced support for French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde.

“I have never been in front of a Magistrate and I never had anything to do with drugs in my life…I just want to be with my children. They need me.” Those were the words of a tearful Marian Walters during her arraignment on Monday, May 2 in the Magistrate’s Court.

Walters, 34, a native of Jamaica who has a United States passport and resides in New York was nabbed at Terrence B. Lettsome International Airport on the morning of April 27 with 2.08 kilos of cocaine which is worth some US$208,000.

The woman who was remanded to prison, pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of cocaine, unlawful possession of cocaine with intent to supply another and unlawful importation of cocaine.

Walters, a mother of three children, said she intends to seek legal representation.

She told the court that she came on vacation and never expected this to be the outcome of her vacation in the BVI.

“…And this is the outcome of my vacation. I miss my children, they are home and I am the only provider for them. I have been working since I am 17 years old and I am asingle parent. I don’t know anything about drugs, how to package or sell drugs. I just want to go home to my kids…This trip was offered to me and I didn’t know anything about drugs,” the woman told the court.

Prosecutor Sarah Benjamin told the court that the crown objects to bail because the woman has no ties to the BVI and from information gathered, this is her first time to the island.

Benjamin also told the court that authorities have no information as to why Walters came to the BVI and who she came to or intended to visit. The Prosecutor told the court that her return ticket was dated May 4, 2011.

Meanwhile, the allegations stated that on April 27 around 10:30 am, Walters arrived in the BVI via LIAT flight 310 from St. Lucia. However, acting on information received from Customs officials in St. Lucia, she was detained and cautioned by Deputy Commissioner of Customs Dean Fahie. Fahie then questioned her in the presence of other Customs Officers in relation to her checked luggage which was a black and blue nylon travelling bag.

Officers upon checking the bag found four sealed transparent plastic bags which were each wrapped in blue coloured carton paper and contained a white powdery substance suspected to be cocaine. Benjamin told the court that the substance was found in a sealed compartment of the bag and in order to retrieve it, officers had to cut away part of the bag.

She was then taken to the Road Town Police Station where she was further questioned.

Walters will return to court on June 9.

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