Bert Samuels blasts scandalous allegations against Popcaan
Artiste held for 3 hours in immigration in the UK
Published:Thursday | January 13, 2022 | 12:08 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
Embarrassing, defamatory and scandalous is how Bert Samuels, the attorney-at-law for dancehall artiste Popcaan, described the deejay’s travel woes which sees red flags against his name which result in him being held in immigration whenever he visits the United Kingdom.
“Popcaan is not detained in the UK,” Samuels emphasised. “Everytime that Popcaan enters the UK he is kept in immigration for three hours or more on the basis that there is a red flag with the allegations that he named out in his tweet,” Bert Samuels, the told The Gleaner.
On Wednesday morning Popcaan, whose real name is Andre Sutherland, tweeted that he was languishing in immigration in England owing to the fact that gang leader and firearm allegations had popped up against his name.
“I would like to know why someone with authority in Jamaica send information to England immigration that I’m a gang leader and I got charge with firearm, this is not cool at all from my own country, why I have to be sitting in immigration for over 3 hours??” he tweeted at 3:30 am.
“Those allegations are totally false. Popcaan has a clean record in Jamaica. At no time has Popcaan ever been charged with anything to do with a gun. It is embarrassing that this information originates from Jamaica. It is defamatory and scandalous,” Samuels said sternly.
The high profile lawyer explained that his client has been going through this routine for the “past three to four years”.
“It has implications for his ability to travel elsewhere in the world frontally,” Samuels added.
In his response to Popcaan’s tweet on social media, Samuels had tweeted, “Poppy as your lawyer I totally reject those false allegations #jamaicaremoveitnow.”
Clearly frustrated with the situation, Popcaan reached out to the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment & Sport.
He tweeted, “@Babsy_grange I try to ask for your help with this before, Why people from my own country fighting Popcaan and telling lies about me and sending it to other countries?? I don’t know what cause but it needs to be off my name.”
Popcaan, a multi-awrd winning entertainer, is the boss of Unruly, a musical outfit which has its own record label, stable of artistes and merchandise. He has been in Africa recently and flew back to London from Ghana, his place of choice for ringing in the New Year in fashionable style with celebs including Stonebwoy, Davido and Stefflon Don at the annual Gatsby Gala.
Samuels said that the artiste, after the checks were made, was allowed to go about his business in the UK, as always happens when he is kept in immigration. Popcaan’s next stop is the Gambia.