Andre Jebbinson, Staff Reporter

Singer Natural Black, whose real name is Mortima Softley, is seeking to clear his name after a run in the with police two weeks ago.

Natural Black made headlines after he was taken into custody at the Half Way Tree Police lock up in connection with the larceny of a Toyota Corolla.

"Mi just want to make it clear to di people dem that I am not a thief," Natural Black said in an interview with THE STAR yesterday.

cars switched

According to Natural Black, his brother-in-law, Abebe Morgan, borrowed his Corolla and drove it to St. Mary. He further explained that his Corolla was switched with another stolen Corolla. The bumpers, seat and keys were also switched to disguise the heist, Natural Black said.

He said the car was left on the roadside, but he was not sure how the culprits got hold of his keys. The police seized the car, which Morgan was in possession of at the time, since it was reported stolen. The chassis number was also reportedly tampered with.

"Dem ask me fi come down di station and dem hold on on pan mi," Natural Black recalled.

After being in custody for seven days, he was released after his lawyer argued that his client had been in lock up for days without being charged.

"Mi glad everything clear up now," he said

disorderly conduct

This is not the first time Natural Black has spent time in a lock up. In March he was detained by the police at the Norman Manley International Airport for "disorderly conduct" and was sentenced to 120 hours of community service and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.

"Mi just bun some fire fi dem because dem wouldn't let me through to collect me breddren dem," he recalled.

He is however not angry with the police as he said he understands they were trying to do their job by having the mess cleared up.