Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Apr 05, 2016 News
The government has granted a two-month extension to the Commission of Inquiry, (COI) established to inquire into the deadly fire, which claimed the lives of 17 prisoners at the Georgetown Prison on March 3, last.
The three members COI resumed taking evidence yesterday at the Conference Room of the Department of Public Service, Ministry of the Presidency, 164 Waterloo Street, South Cummingsburg. According to the rules of procedure, the commission was expected to render its report, findings and recommendations to the Minister of Public Security by March 15, 2016 or such other date as the Minister shall determine.
Last week Chairman of the Commission, Justice James Patterson, had announced that hearings into the Camp Street disturbance were adjourned, pending approval of an official date of continuation for the exercise.
The extension was reportedly granted by Minister of State Joseph Harmon following his return from a trip to China.
Over 100 persons including ex- inmates had expressed desire of testifying before the Commission of Inquiry (COI). However, Counsel for the Commission, Excellence Dazzell, explained yesterday that despite the long list of persons whose names were supplied to the COI, due to the time permitted and resources available for the commission to conclude its work, only pertinent persons will be accommodated to present their evidence.
She further said that the Commission will also select persons based on relevance to the task at hand.
Dazzell noted that most of the inmates who testified before the panel, provided accounts with several commonalities and some inconsistencies.
She stated that the Commission therefore saw the need to call inmates who were housed at Capital ‘A’ ‘B’, ‘C’ and even the condemned division of the Camp Street Prisons at the time of the fire. The attorney explained that the Commission is looking to gather evidence from inmates in light of their various vantage points at the time of the commotion.
Additionally, the lawyer outlined that following the testimony of inmates, the Commission is set to call prison officials, those from the Fire Department who were in involved in the investigation to provide evidence. A number of prisoners have already testified before the Commission. Among them are inmates Steve Bacchus and Collis Collison.
Even a few former inmates of the prisons expressed willingness to testify before the COI.
The former prisoners believe that their testimonies can only be beneficial to the COI which must make recommendations for the reform of the system.
The COI was ordered by President David Granger following one of the deadliest riots that took place within the prisons in recent years.
The President appointed Justice James Patterson, Merle Mendonca and retired Director of Prisons, Dale Erskine as Commissioners to oversee the work.
The panel is expected to investigate, examine and report on the causes, circumstances and conditions that led to the disturbances on the morning of March 3, 2016, that resulted in the death of prisoners and any other subsequent disturbances at the Camp Street Prisons; the nature of all injuries sustained by the Prisoners, and any other subsequent disturbances.
According to the rules of procedure, the commission was expected to render its report, findings and recommendations to the Minister of Public Security.
Stakeholders whose views will be considered by the commission may include staff of the Prisons and their representative unions, members of the judiciary, prisoners accommodated within the Camp Street facility, functionaries in the Ministries of Public Health and Social Protection and any other stakeholder whose input would be deemed appropriate.
The Inquiry is being conducted in the Conference Room of the Department of Public Service, Ministry of the Presidency, 164 Waterloo Street, South Cummingsburg, and can be held in such other places as the Chairman may determine.
Additionally, the Inquiry is held in public, with reservation of the Commissioners to exclude any person/s deemed unfit for the due conduct of the Inquiry, the preservation of Order, or for any other reason.
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