KINGSTON (AP) ? Mortimo Planno, a philosopher regarded as a key figure in the development of the Rastafarian religion, has died. He was 85.

Planno died Monday at the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica, after suffering complications from a thyroid condition, said Barry Chevannes, a longtime friend and anthropology professor at the university.

?Planno was an icon in the Rasta movement,? said Chevannes, a specialist on the movement.

Though rejected by mainstream Jamaican society, the movement grew into a structured religion, in large part under Planno?s influence.

.Planno was one of the most influential people in the development of Rastafarianism and taught its principles in his home in the Kingston ghetto of Trench Town to students that included the late singer Bob Marley. Planno held a fellowship in folk philosophy at UWI. He is survived by a brother and two nieces.

Mr. Planno will be remembered by many for the role he played during the visit of Ethiopian Emperor, Haile Selassie I, to Jamaica in 1966.

He was reportedly summoned by Selassie to ascend the steps of his aircraft shortly after the Emperor's arrival at the Palisadoes Airport.

Brother Kumi, as Planno was affectionately called, was born in Cuba. He was a founding member of the Rastafari Movement Association.