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Lack of sufficient material pushes back Rodney Commission of Inquiry opening
Lawyers attached to the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry have now stated that instead of a Tuesday opening the CoI will now commence on April 28.
According to Attorney at Law Glenn Hanoman, the Secretariat has decided to push back the start of the Inquiry to April 28, because it didn’t feel that it had sufficient material.
Attorney at Law Glen Hanoman
Hanoman added that potential witnesses who had signaled their participation were late in submitting their statements. Up until Thursday the Secretariat was still dispatching letters to potential “witnesses”.
The Secretariat had earlier set March 26, last as the deadline for the submission of statements and other materials pertaining to the commission.
Because of the influx of statements, another Attorney for the Commission, Latchmie Rahamat, had said that they had to extend it. That period for submission of statements had been extended indefinitely to facilitate the participation of all interested parties; including those from remote domestic areas and overseas.
Kaieteur News was told that enquiries may be made of and statements delivered to the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry, at Lot 1 Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown.
President Donald Ramotar had told the media that it was Rodney’s family who had asked the government for the Commission of Inquiry. The Commission is costing Government approximately $112 million.
Ramotar had noted that the Terms of Reference which some parties have been protesting over were crafted by Rodney’s family and advisors, along with some technical help from government. Ramotar stressed that it was Rodney’s wife who made the comment about not wanting it to be political.
“We created all the conditions that no one will be criminally prosecuted and people could come forward and speak what they know,” the President said. He made the point of persons trying to put a spin on it to imply that there’s something sinister, which he dismissed.
Both the Working People’s Alliance and A Partnership for National Unity have declined to participate in the inquiry.
Chairman for the Commission Sir Richard Cheltenham (QC) had disclosed that the body would sit for an initial nine days, before taking a break for about two weeks before resuming.
Walter Rodney0
Cheltenham had noted that the circumstances surrounding Rodney’s death weren’t fairly investigated and made known to the world, so it’s an unresolved issue for his family.
“There has been no clear answer from any investigation to determine this,” the Chairman said.
Cheltenham also said that they intend to “dig deeply” in relation to the facts and come to a conclusion as to who was responsible and why it was done.
He said that to get an answer would be good, especially for the family, who is mainly the purpose for the inquiry.
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