Arrested and held in Florida since 10 December (see news of 14/12/2009), Buju Banton is organising his defence.
On 15 December, he appeared in prison clothes before the Miami court at a hearing to rule on a possible release on bail. To general surprise, the singer's lawyer preferred to suspend negotiations and asked for the case to be transferred to Tampa, where the trial is due to be held.
Evidently unhappy with this approach, the singer and his entourage announced that they would look for other lawyers. That is done: Buju will now be defended by David Oscar Markus, a highly respected American heavyweight of the bar.
Gargamel and his two co-defendants already know what charges they will have to answer: the federal grand jury before which they were summoned in Tampa at the end of December informed them that they would be prosecuted for conspiracy to acquire and distribute more than 5 kg of cocaine and for possession of a firearm. These two charges, if upheld in court, would be enough to sentence the three men to life in prison. According to the police, investigations are still under way and further arrests could follow in this case.
Little by little, all the elements are falling into place for a trial that could take place in early February: the federal authorities, as they are obliged to do, have told the court that they would rely on audio and video recordings, as well as on the testimony of an anonymous informant, at the origin of the whole affair.
The only good news is that the media coverage of this case is translating into an increase in sales of the album "Rasta got soul", which has just re-entered the Billboard album charts.