Beenie Man pleads not guilty to curfew, noise charges
Published:Thursday | February 11, 2021 | 5:56 AMHopeton Bucknor/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
Dancehall artiste Moses ‘Beenie Man’ Davis, who was arrested and charged for breaching the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA), pleaded not guilty when he appeared before the St Elizabeth Parish Court in Black River yesterday.
The entertainer, who was summoned into the court at approximately 11:45 a.m., looked on as his attorney, Roderick Gordon, told presiding magistrate Justice Natasha Hylton that he needed more time to familiarise himself with one of the charges as up to the time of the case being called up, he was only aware of one charge.
Davis’ bail was extended until February 19, when he is slated to return to court.
Subsequent to the court hearing, Gordon told The Gleaner that Davis was not the kind of person who would host an illegal party against COVID-19 protocols, the allegation that sparked his arrest.
“He has been charged with two offences arising out of an alleged incident in late November [at] some type of entertainment event. He has been charged with failing to obtain permission from superintendent, contrary to the Noise Abatement Act, and he has been charged with a breach of the curfew, contrary to the Disaster Risk Management [Act] order,” explained Gordon.
The attorney said that Davis pleaded not guilty to both offences.
Quizzed about the claim that he was only aware of one charge against his client, Gordon said it was an administrative matter.
“His (Davis’) team sent through one summons to us, so we were aware that there was one summons,” said Gordon. “This morning, when I got to court and asked to see the court files, I discovered that there was a second summons. The clerk assured me that it was also served on Mr Davis, so we did not have any issue with that.”
The 47-year-old international dancehall star was charged by the Black River police last year December for allegedly hosting an illegal party at a location in Shrewsbury district, St Elizabeth, on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
Davis, who also spoke to reporters for a brief moment following his court appearance, made an attempt to clarify how the charges were laid against him, but he was immediately told by his attorney that he should refrain from making any comments on the matter.
“It is – it was a hang-out. We di deh a hang out, we and wi fren. A nuh nutten like what de police dem seh,” the entertainer told The Gleaner before his lawyer intervened.