Trinidad and Tobago’s Performing Commissioner of Police, Junior Benjamin, confirmed to the Trinidad Guardian that the Monetary Investigations Department (FIB) is investigating the origin and timing of a considerable US$950,000 fee made to Jamaican dancehall star Adidja “Vybz Kartel” Palmer for a efficiency that in the end by no means occurred.
The fee was reportedly made by an area promoter for Palmer to headline final Saturday’s One Caribbean Music Pageant, held on the Queen’s Park Savannah. Regardless of being the occasion’s marketed primary act, Vybz Kartel didn’t take the stage, blaming his no-show on the promoters’ failure to ship the remaining portion of his agreed US$1.35 million charge.
Though no official criticism has been lodged, Benjamin said, “The TTPS has not acquired any formal report on the matter,” however stated authorities had launched a proactive investigation regardless. “Nonetheless, we proceed to take a look at the matter, and based mostly on that, I’ve already engaged the FIB to look into the matter, so we are going to look into it and can see what are the ramifications that come out of it.”
The occasion, which featured different international acts similar to Malie Donn, Rvssian, Sizzla Kalonji, and Moliy—together with native artists Woman Lava and Ravi B—confronted backlash after just one abroad performer, Jamaican artist Continual Regulation, appeared on stage. The lacking headliner sparked outrage amongst patrons and triggered deeper questions on how such a big sum of international forex was mobilised.
Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo also expressed concern concerning the transaction, given the nation’s ongoing international trade challenges. “I’m additionally intrigued by the quantity of international trade being talked about within the media stories as having been concerned on this enterprise and I anticipate in different related ventures,” Tancoo stated.
“I’ve requested the Ministry of Finance to research and report on the very questions you raised,” he added, describing the hassle as “a fact-finding effort.”
“Our Prime Minister and Authorities is absolutely supportive of personal sector improvement of international trade mills, together with the commercialisation of the music and leisure trade in direction of better contribution to our nation’s gross home product. We’ll share the outcomes of this inquiry once we get similar,” Tancoo assured.
Vybz Kartel was reportedly paid by way of a single financial institution switch, and occasion organisers preserve that US$950,000—greater than three-quarters of the contracted charge—had been despatched upfront. The remaining quantity, which was allegedly due earlier than the efficiency, was not acquired.
Because the fallout from the occasion continues, each legislation enforcement and monetary authorities are actually digging deeper into the controversial transaction, which has stirred debate about oversight and transparency within the leisure sector.
