Buju Banton Accuses Jamaican Legislator of Trying to 'Shame and Blame' Him

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Reggae superstar  Buju Banton has accused Transport Minister Daryl Vaz of trying to “shame and blame” him, following reports hurricane relief items were stolen at the port .

In a video shared by the entertainer on Wednesday, Banton had alleged that containers filled with relief items for disaster victims were being stolen, posting a photo showing a half-filled barrel as evidence.

However, Vaz refuted the claim on Thursday morning, stating that an investigation showed no evidence of missing or tampered goods.

According to the minister, the shipment in question arrived on Tuesday and was cleared immediately by the customs broker. 

He emphasised that the items were never stored or moved offsite, but went directly from the aircraft on the tarmac to the receiving truck. 

He said the customs officer who cleared the items confirmed that the pallets were sealed, adding that they were also cross-checked against the list provided by the sender.

“Nothing was missing or disturbed,” Vaz said.

However, Banton hit back in a subsequent post later Thursday morning, suggesting that the minister is “unaware of how things went”.