Rodney COI set to go from Monday…Lead Counsel’s contract not renewed

Jul 25, 2015 News

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Even as uncertainty looms over the return of lead Counsel of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon yesterday declared that the staff of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) is seemingly in a state of

readiness to resume hearings on Monday.
Harmon made the assessment, yesterday, after a visit to the High Court in Georgetown where the COI sessions are facilitated. According to a missive disseminated yesterday, the Minister told the staff, “It seems to me that you seem quite ready to resume the hearings and I trust that when the Commissioners come in (today) that they will find you as ready as they have always found you.”
Harmon wants the Commission to be able to wrap up its work within the time period set by President David Granger. He said, “They must be able to conclude their work, and report.”
The Commission of Inquiry (COI) being conducted to determine the cause of former Leader of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Dr. Walter Rodney’s death, is strapped with a November deadline for completion.
What has caused concern, however, is the imposed deadline for the Commission to conclude hearing closing submissions from lawyers by next Tuesday (July 28). Of concern, is the fact that the contract for lead Counsel, Glenn Hanoman, has not yet been renewed. The contract expired in April, last, after the last sitting of the COI.
Hanoman would have led several witnesses through their testimonies and come Monday, the day set for lawyers to begin making submissions, he will not be in a state of readiness. Further, Hanoman indicated he is not inclined to appear at the sitting on Monday in the absence of a renewed contract between him and the government.
Hanoman said that he has not for the past months been contacted or consulted on the affairs of the Commission, in spite of numerous attempts on his behalf to reach out to the relevant authorities.
He said yesterday afternoon, that he was contacted by the Administrator for the Rodney COI, Hugh Denbow, who assured him of a renewed contract. “The trouble is, I am still waiting on a contract. I am willing to continue to participate but proper procedure must be followed.”
He said, too, that the deadlines have been fixed without any consultations being held with him. According to the Attorney, the submissions should be the last thing done and there are witnesses who have not concluded their testimonies, while at least four key figures that should be allowed to testify before the inquiry could be considered complete.
“I must say that I am a bit disappointed that I am not being spoken to. I was the lead Counsel for the Commission but there has been no consultation since. While I am willing to continue, I do not intend to turn up without a contract from the powers that be,” the renowned lawyer divulged.
“You can’t have no contract and expect submissions to be made. It (the contract renewal) should have been done long ago,” he said adding that the contracts have in the past been awarded to him on a three-month basis.
“As a lawyer, I cannot appear and face the risk of someone telling me that I have no standing authority; that I do not have locus standi to appear as Counsel for the Commission,” he said. Having led the majority of the witnesses in the inquiry, it is unclear what would happen when the Commission continues on Monday.
Meanwhile, as he engaged members of the media after a People’s National Congress (PNC) public meeting, State Minister, Joseph Harmon said that the contract was not terminated to his knowledge.
“The Commission of Inquiry will wind up after this last sitting. The bulk of what has to be done will be submissions to be made by the Attorneys for the various parties and the reporting Commissioner.”
Harmon said they “Will be dealing with a few persons who need to tidy up some issues that arose.” Though he did not speak directly about Hanoman, Minister Harmon added that the persons who will be retained are those recommended by the Administrator of the Commission.
“If Mr. Hanoman is not a part of that arrangement, I cannot say. If he has not been renewed that is a decision that has to be made in the Commission by the organizers of the commission. The state has provided all of the resources needed by the Commission for them to do their work,” he said.
On Monday, the tenth session of the COI will be for “Wrapping up of submissions, and the Attorneys who had actually been presenting these submissions have been identified”.
Harmon has said that in some cases they will bring their work together so that the time for submissions would not be too lengthy.
Rodney, a political activist was killed when a bomb exploded in the car in which he was sitting. Dr. Rodney, 38 at the time of his death, was an eminent political leader engaged in a struggle against authoritarian rule for democracy and social justice.
The inquiry was set up after years of questions and speculation as to what led to Dr. Rodney’s death. Thus far, the inquiry has seen many travelling from far and wide to offer their testimony into the incident which occurred over three decades ago.
It was initially scheduled to last four months, following its commencement in April last year. Subsequently the People’s Progressive Party/Civic-led administration had extended the inquiry’s life on several occasions.
Since the death of the WPA co-founder and political stalwart on June 13, 1980, fingers have been pointed in the direction of the People’s National Congress (PNC), one of the parties in the current ruling coalition, a Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC).
Since its ascension to office, the coalition has stated its intention to bring the curtain down on the inquiry, citing that it has been costing Guyanese millions of dollars and was being used as a political tool as it has been accepting hearsay evidence.

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