KINGSTON, Jamaica — Waves of celebration have swept through the support network of renowned Jamaican dancehall performer Munga Honourable, following a courtroom ruling that cleared him and his co-accused of all murder charges on Friday.
The case centers on the 2017 killing of Cleveland Smith in the Ackee Walk neighborhood of St Andrew. Prosecutors on the case confirmed they would not present additional evidence against either Munga — whose legal name is Damian Rhodes — or his co-defendant Sheridan Gordon, leading the court to dismiss the charges and release the two men.
According to information obtained by the Jamaica Observer, the acquittal came after major inconsistencies were uncovered in the testimony of the prosecution’s only eyewitness. The high-profile trial officially opened last week, with the eyewitness concluding her testimony before the court on Thursday. The gaps and contradictions in her account ultimately undermined the prosecution’s entire case against the two accused.
Munga was represented in court by experienced defense attorneys Christopher Townsend and Chadwyk Berry, while Gordon’s legal team was led by King’s Counsel Peter Champagne alongside attorney Sayeed Bernard. Additional updates on the aftermath of this ruling are expected to emerge in the coming days.