Teino Evans, Staff ReporterGOSPEL PROMOTER Markland Edwards is today counting his losses and calling it a day, as he says his life has been threatened and money demanded from him by unknown assailants.
It appears that a trail of 'bad blessing' has followed the gospel promoter, as it was only recently that Edwards had to postpone one of his events, 'Gospel Overdose', which was slated to take place at the Spanish Town Prison Oval on Sunday, August 1, 2004. This was due to an upsurge in violence in the old capital.
Now, this highly anticipated show may never take place again, as Edwards says he has to consider his own safety.
"In light of all of that is happening, I am not going to touch anything. I am going to just do what's best for me and my family, and given the way that Jamaica a run, mi nuh really waan tek no check," Edwards told The Sunday Gleaner.
THREATS
Edwards, who also works as an announcer at Mega Jamz 98 and as programmes manager at JACS Cable Company in Portmore, says he will have to resign from his jobs, as he is not taking these threats lightly.
Based on the telephoned threats, Edwards says, "I realise that this person seems to know my every movement, because he knew that I work in Portmore and that I live in Hellshire."
In conveying to The Sunday Gleaner how his present situation began to unfold, Edwards retraced the events leading up to that very first telephone conversation with the alleged extortionists.
"I was emceeing a concert (on Monday, August 2) when my cell phone rang. I didn't answer, but after the concert when I checked my voice mail the message said I was to deliver $31,000. On Tuesday in the afternoon (12:56 p.m.) the person called me back and asked me 'What happen to the money?' So I asked the person 'What is this money for?' At this point he asked me if I worked on the Portmore Mall and I said yes, then he said he would call me back and tell me who to deliver the money to.
REPORT
"At that time I went to the Greater Portmore Police Station, where I reported the matter officially," Edwards said.
"I returned to work the same Tuesday evening and at about 8 p.m. he called and asked me if I am not in Hellshire as yet. So I asked him 'What does Hellshire have to do with the money?' and he said 'Don't yuh live in Hellshire?'
"After that conversation I then returned to the Greater Portmore Police Station, where I was accompanied by the police to go home and get some clothes and leave. Since then, I have been living at an undisclosed location.
"That same Tuesday night he kept on calling and he mentioned that his name was 'David' and that he lived in 5 West Greater Portmore, but said he was calling me from Tivoli Gardens, but all of this could be fictitious," Edwards said.
PICK UP
"The last conversation we had was that he would call me back on Wednesday morning to tell me when and where to drop off the money. He called me 9:30 Wednesday morning, saying that he would send one of his staff to pick up the money at 11:00 a.m. at my workplace. Of course, I waited until 2 p.m., but he didn't show up. When I left work that evening he called me at 4 p.m. complaining that I had police all over 5 West in Greater Portmore and that I take him for an idiot and a fool. He gave me half an hour to meet him at the Greater Portmore Mall but I didn't show, as I was advised by the police not to meet with him," Edwards said.
When contacted, the Greater Portmore Police declined to make any comment on the situation, as they said the matter was still under investigation.
Edwards, who is obviously heartbroken over the situation, said he only wanted to give back to his country something positive. His initial hopes of keeping 'Gospel Overdose' were to bring renewal, revival and restoration to the troubled Spanish Town.
As fate would have it, however, an overdose of violence in the said area brought harm to the event and now that extortion has reared its ugly head, the gospel promoter is pondering if it is worth it.
"I live my life in the sense that as a Christian, I allow the Lord to direct my life. I leave everything in his hands," Edwards said.
