Following the recent announcement that popular dancehall entertainer Tanto Blacks was being sort by members of the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigations Branch (CTOC) to answer fraud-related accusations. The artiste management has moved to address the matter via an official statement.
In a press release issued late Thursday evening via his manager Labella Christie, she wrote,
“The allegations of Fraud against Mr Junior Henry aka Tanto Blacks are simply meritless. This is nothing more than a failed attempt to defame and tarnish Mr Henry’s reputation.
To be clear Mr Henry did not give anyone any envelope containing cash or any other contents to exchange on his behalf. In fact the allegations are so in-credible that the accused Mr Omar Johnson aka Poor and Boasty himself had to admit to the ridiculous nature of his allegations in court.
Suffice to say we were just as surprised to learn of these allegations in the media and our Attorney Ainsworth Jones is in communication with CTOC to address and resolve these frivolous allegations.
Unfortunately the damage that Mr. Johnson has caused to our client’s reputation cannot be easily undone. However, we intend to pursue every legal means available against all interested parties to obtain the appropriate redress.”
The allegations against Tanto Blacks stem from co-accused Poor and Boasy, whose real name is Omar Johnson, guilty plea on Tuesday in the Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Court to conspiracy to defraud, uttering counterfeit documents, and collecting money utilising false pretence.
On May 30, the complainant alleges that he was in his place of business when Johnson and Henry asked him to convert $250 in U.S. dollars to Jamaican currency. The men left, and on June 1, Johnson reappeared with an envelope containing U$1,000 in U$100 notes, telling the complaint that he received the money from Henry.
Johnson informed the complainant that Henry had asked him to hold on to the envelope containing the U.S. currency in exchange for J$70,000 until June 8, when they would return to retrieve the U.S. dollar and repay the J$70,000. Johnson then departed after concluding the deal. The U.S. banknotes, however, were found to be counterfeit, bearing identical serial numbers.
