SOE extension could keep Tommy Lee Sparta grounded

WESTERN BUREAU:

With Parliament extending the term of the states of emergency to September 3, dancehall star Tommy Lee Sparta is likely to spend much longer behind bars after being taken into custody two weeks ago.

Despite being grilled for hours since surrendering to the police, the artiste, who has been linked to a deadly gang feud in Flankers by the police, has not been released.

“The Uptown Sparta Gang has been linked to several serious criminal offences committed in Flankers (St James) and Washington Gardens and Mountain View in Kingston. ... There might be a case for him to answer,” a police source told The Gleaner.

The artiste, whose real name is Leroy Russell Jr, is originally from crime-plagued Flankers but has been living in Kingston for several years. He was listed as a person of interest on July 7, 2020, and ordered to report to the Freeport Police Station within 24 hours.

Attorney-at-law Ernest Smith said that his client is not guilty of any criminal activities. The artiste has been interviewed by the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch and Organised Crime Investigation Division, among other agencies, Smith told The Gleaner.

“They have no charge against him; they want to question him. He has not been told anything of any offence he has committed,” said Smith.

“He has not been told that he is inciting anything. He is just told that he has influence over a gang by the name of Sparta Gang.”