By: Staff Writer
March 18, 2022
Reggae star Jah Cure, who will know his fate on March 22 for a stabbing incident in the Netherlands last year, could spend his sentence in Jamaica if convicted.
The Netherlands Prosecutor’s Office made Caribbean Magazine Plus aware that there was a chance that if convicted Cure could spend his prison sentence in Jamaica as per the Dutch’s WOTS information sheet. WOTS means: “Wet overdracht tenuitvoerlegging strafvonnissen” or in English the Transfer Enforcement of Criminal Judgments (Transfer) Act.
The sheet says that if you are imprisoned in a foreign country like how the reggae singer is in the Netherlands, a proper return to society will be more difficult. That is why it is possible to serve your sentence in your own country. The international transfer of sentences is governed by two acts: WETS (for countries in the European Union) and WOTS (for other countries).
The transfer of sentences falls under the responsibility of the Minister of Security and Justice. The International Transfer of Criminal Judgments department (Internationale Overdracht Strafvonnissen or IOS) implements the acts on transfer of sentences on behalf of the Minister. IOS is part of the Custodial Institutions Agency (Dienst Justitiële Inrichtingen or DJI) in The Hague.
Jamaica has a convention with the Netherlands on transfer of sentences called the Convention Transfer of Sentenced Persons/ Verklaring afkortingen verdragen (VOGP). Based on this convention, the sentence can be transferred with a prison sentence of detainees who are not detained in the country where they reside and live. The treaty provides for the procedure of conversion and continuation.
Cure, whose real name is Siccaturie Alcock, faces a raft of charges including attempted manslaughter, aggravated assault or attempted aggravated assault in relation to an alleged stabbing incident last year and has a strong possibility of being convicted this coming March 22 and sentenced that same day.
The incident involved event promoter Nicardo ‘Papa’ Blake on October 1, 2021, at Dam Square, in the city centre of Amsterdam, where the singer was booked for a performance. He was arrested and has been in custody since October 2.
Prosecutors have painted the picture of the stabbing not only being graphic and bloody, but premeditated on Alcock’s part. Lawyers for Alcock have not returned calls or emails from CMP to confirm the condition he is in either.
Jamaican attorney-at-law Christopher Townsend has expressed doubt about the enthusiasm of Alcock’s attorney, following closing arguments yesterday in the entertainer’s attempted murder case in the Netherlands.
Alcock is no stranger to the law as in April, 1999 he was found guilty of gun possession, robbery and rape and sentenced to 15 years in prison in Jamaica.Cure was transferred from the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre to the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, which had a digital recording studio the inmates could use and recorded several albums from prison. He was released from jail on parole on 28 July 2007, after serving 8 years of the sentence.