Mathews Lane area leader, Donald 'Zekes' Phipps.
DONALD 'ZEKES' Phipps, the Matthews Lane area leader, was denied bail when he appeared in the Half-Way Tree Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, to answer to charges of two counts of murder.
K. Churchill Neita, the attorney representing Phipps, told The Gleaner that Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey turned down his application for bail after the police involved with the case opposed the request.
"They had asked for two to three weeks to complete their investigation ... the investigations are incomplete because they say they need to get more statements, and that is one of the basis on which they opposed bail," said Mr. Neita.
There was a small number of Matthews Lane supporters as he arrived at the court by police escort. He will next appear in court on June 22. Mr. Neita said his client was disappointed that his stay in custody was extended, but added that he was holding up.
"He'll have to accept the situation but he's pretty upbeat," Mr. Neita said.
Police have been probing Matthews Lane since the April 15 murders of two men, Rodney Leroy Farqhuarson and Dayton Williams of Bayshore Park in east Kingston. Their burnt bodies were discovered in an open lot at Rose Lane, a community that neighbours Matthews Lane.
Phipps was arrested two weeks ago in connection with their deaths and charged Monday for murder. The diminutive Phipps also faces charges for unlawful possession of over $18 million, which was found by police at his upper St. Andrew home on May 21.
Phipps has rarely been out of the spotlight since October last year when his store at Matthews Lane was searched by police. The raid yielded over $9 million, two pounds of ganja, 26 rounds of ammunition and a quantity of pharmaceuticals. He was charged for illegal possession of ganja, ammunition and pharmaceuticals.
