Cussing Bounty Killer out on $25,000 bail

Mere hours after a Port-of-Spain magistrate seized the passport of Jamaican artiste Rodney “Bounty Killer” Price yesterday and placed him on $25,000 bail with surety pending the hearing of an obscene language charge, a High Court judge ordered the passport returned to the foreigner. Price and his manager Julian Jones Griffith are hoping to take the earliest flight out of Trinidad for Jamaica where Bounty Killer is billed to perform at the “Grill” in Jamaica tonight, and later in the week fly out to New York, where he has two shows over the weekend. What was supposed to be a two-day business trip for the Jamaican artiste was turning into an extended visit, as City Magistrate Maureen Gafoor ordered his  travel documents to be retained by the police. Price’s court appearance stemmed from charges laid by law officers during the “Summer Fest” concert held on Saturday night at the Queen’s Park Savannah.

According to reports, Price burst into a series of expletives after only five minutes of performing one of his popular songs. Law officers reportedly escorted Price off the stage after his outburst. Elephant Man, another Jamaican artiste who was carded to perform, announced soon afterwards that he would not be performing in protest against the action taken by the police officers. The concert came to an abrupt end and patrons turned on law officers, who had to scamper for safety. When Price appeared before Gafoor in the Third Court yesterday, he pleaded not guilty to the charge of using obscene language in a song. After being advised by his attorney Devish Maharaj,  the Jamaican artiste attempted to change the plea to guilty. By the time he pleaded guilty, however, the magistrate indicated that she had already accepted the not guilty plea and could do nothing to change it.

The magistrate then ordered the entertainer’s travel documents remain in the hands of the police. Soon after, Price filed documents in the Port-of-Spain High Court asking a judge to hear his application for his passport to be returned to him. His attorneys explained to the court that Price needed his passport to travel to different countries so he could fulfill his contractual obligations as an artiste. They also pointed out to Justice Moosai the charge carried a fine of just $400 without even an alternate prison term. Justice Moosai ordered the passport be returned after being given the assurance that Price will return to Trinidad on October 31, 2004, to answer the cussing charge which was adjourned to November 1.