LONDON (Reuters) – Jamaican dancehall star Vybz Kartel on Thursday won his appeal in a London court over his conviction for the murder of an associate more than a decade ago.
The musician, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, is one of Jamaica’s most popular artists and has collaborated with performers such as Jay-Z and Rihanna.
Kartel, 48, has been in jail in Jamaica since 2011 over the disappearance of his associate Clive “Lizard” Williams, whose body has never been found.
After a 64-day trial in Kingston, one of the longest in Jamaican history, Kartel and three others were convicted in 2014. Kartel was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 35 years, later reduced on appeal to 32-and-a-half.
Last month, Kartel and his co-defendants mounted their final possible appeal at the Privy Council in London, the final court of appeal in Jamaica and some other Commonwealth countries.
Their appeals were allowed by the court on Thursday, in a ruling which could see Kartel and his co-defendants face a retrial.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin; editing by William James)
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