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Jul 24, 2015 News
– State Ministry says COI staffers to be paid soon
The Justice for Walter Rodney Committee wants the new government to review the deadline set for closing submissions in the inquiry being conducted, so as to allow three crucial witnesses to offer evidence before it ends.
The Commission of Inquiry (COI) is being conducted to determine the cause of former Leader of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Dr. Walter Rodney’s death, and while the committee has expressed agreement with the November deadline set for completion, it has expressed concern over the imposed deadline for the Commission to conclude hearing closing submissions from lawyers by next Tuesday (July 28).
The committee is asking for this to be reviewed. Stating that it is aware that at least 10 more witnesses have indicated willingness to testify, it said that it agrees with the statements made by Attorney General (AG) and former People’s National Congress (PNC) lawyer, Basil Williams prior to the May 11 polls that the Commission could wind up its hearings after listening to testimony from three crucial witnesses.
“The Justice for Walter Rodney Committee is pleased with the Gazette notice that the life of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry has been extended to November 2015. This is a realistic deadline, because most of the available evidence has already been laid before the Commission,” the body noted in a press statement.
Continuing, the committee noted that the Commission is yet to hear completed testimonies from three key witnesses and “we believe that the Commission of Inquiry can conclude its work after hearing from these crucial witnesses.”
Former Head of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Major General Norman McLean, former Crime Chief of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Deputy Commissioner Cecil Skip Roberts, and Co-Leader of the Working People’s Alliance, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, are the witnesses they are lobbying for.
“This deadline does not seem to take consideration of the need for the Commissioners to hear testimony from remaining witnesses. We believe this course of action should be reconsidered,” the Justice for Walter Rodney Committee expressed.
“The Rodney family needs closure. Guyana needs closure and more especially because the country is now embarking on a path towards national reconciliation. From the beginning of this process, friends, colleagues, and compatriots of Walter Rodney have felt that this inquiry is one of the pillars for the much needed process of national reconciliation, which must unfold in Guyana.”
The Committee noted that an important signal of the readiness of all the political parties to begin this process came in 2005 when the People’s National Congress (PNC) – led at the time by Robert Corbin – participated in the unanimous decision of the National Assembly to establish a Commission of Inquiry into Walter Rodney’s killing.
This, the committee said, was “an important signal of the readiness of the People’s National Congress to put the past behind and the body believes that decision heralded the beginning of this process”.
“In the spirit of reaching across the aisle demonstrated by the joining of parliamentary votes between the Working People’s Alliance and the People’s National Congress in 2005, and the work that has been done since then that saw the establishment firstly of APNU and then the APNU+AFC Alliance, the Justice for Walter Rodney Committee recommends that the three-person Commission of eminent Caribbean Jurists be engaged with in discussion, and a mutual deadline be established.”
The political activist was killed when a bomb exploded in the car in which he was sitting. Dr. Rodney, aged 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 and was being used as a political tool as it has been accepting hearsay evidence.
STAFFERS’ PAYMENT
Meanwhile, notice came from the Ministry of the Presidency yesterday stating that outstanding balances will be settled with staffers entitled to payment.
A missive from the Ministry indicated that yesterday Administrator of the Walter Rodney Commission, Hugh Denbow met with Minister of State, Joseph Harmon at the Ministry of the Presidency.
The Minister explained that the business session was to “deal with the contracts and the people who weren’t paid”.
It was said that during the meeting, Harmon emphasized that the staff that are entitled to their pay, “will get their pay”. He further revealed that all of the administrative arrangements to ensure that the hearings can continue as planned are currently being streamlined.
The work of the commission is expected to proceed as was advertised in the Official Gazette. Today, Harmon is expected to observe the High Court where the various sessions of the Inquiry were thus far held. This examination comes as the tenth session of that inquiry is slated to begin on Monday.
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