Another attempt will be made today to have controversial dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel appear before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court to answer murder and other criminal charges.

At the same time, the police disclosed yesterday that a news conference planned for this week to outline possible criminal charges against other entertainers has been pushed back to next week.

"We are doing some other things before we have it," Assistant Commissioner of Police Ealan Powell, who heads the Criminal Investigations Branch (CIB), told The Gleaner.

Kartel, whose given name is Adidja Palmer, was expected to make his first court appearance yesterday, but that was rescheduled because the case file did not reach the court office in time.

In addition to murder, Palmer, 35, was charged late Monday evening with illegal possession of firearm and conspiracy to commit murder.

Powell explained that the case file reached the court office late because the interview between Palmer and investigators from the Major Investigations Task Force ended late on Monday.

"It's going to be taken there today (yesterday) for the case to be set for tomorrow (today)," Powell told The Gleaner yesterday.

Nothing from prosecutors

Up to late yesterday, one of the attorneys for the entertainer, Christian Tavares-Finson, said he had not received any correspondence from prosecutors.

"I guess in due time I will see something," Tavares-Finson said.

There was more bad news for Palmer yesterday as telecommunications provider LIME announced that it was dropping his locally produced reality TV show, Teacha's Pet, from its mobile broadcast "with immediate effect".

Kartel is the main character of the show.

LIME cited "the serious nature of the charges" as the reason for its decision, but said it would not comment further because "the issue is now a legal matter which is the purview of the security forces and the courts".

The controversial artiste shot to international stardom nearly eight years ago.

His biggest success came with the 2010 hit song Clarks - a collaboration with protégés Popcaan and Gaza Slim - which was among the top three reggae singles that gained the most radio plays in North America for 40 weeks.