THE Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (COI) yesterday took PNC Chairman Basil Williams to task for his repeated objections about heresay evidence being admitted.

Williams, who sits on the legal team representing the Party’s interest in the COI into the 1980 death of Dr. Rodney, charged that Guyanese laws have been suspended to facilitate the COI and that, “anything goes in this Commission.”

But Commissioner Seenath Jairam said he personally took umbrage at this statement as it reflects very badly on the commissioners.
“I think you have not thought through this statement. We have not suspended the laws. We are bound by the laws. You are making a very serious statement. I don’t think you are being fair to us. Speaking for myself, I have not suspended the laws of Guyana. So I want to make that clear to you,” Jairam told Williams, following one of his repeated objections.

Jairam pointed out that a body such as a COI is entitled to make its own rules and that one has to appreciate that the Commissioners are dealing with an incident which occurred many years ago and hence information will have to be sifted in order to determine relevance.
Williams’ statement came yesterday just after Reverend Reuben Gilbert gave evidence in the COI at the Supreme Court Law Library. He was the fourth witness to take the stand since the hearings began on Monday.
Following Gilbert’s testimony, he urged the commissioners to examine two books that he walked with, both which featured information of what took place in Guyana. Lawyer Latchmie Rahamat, who led Gilbert’s testimony, suggested that the books be formally tendered and copies be made.
Basil Williams then told the commissioners that the books should have been produced by their secretariat. “I know that we have suspended our laws for this trial but it would really be stretching it for him to tender books that he didn’t author. I keep reiterating that we had problems with the Terms of Reference but even with the Terms of Reference as they are, we are going all over the place,” Williams contended.
The PNC lawyer said he could not see the relevance among these books but the COI Chairman, Sir Richard Cheltenham, warned Williams not to doubt the commissioners’ capacity to determine relevance. Cheltenham also pointed out that no one spoke of suspending the laws of Guyana, but flexibility was what was discussed.
Commissioner Jacqueline Samuels-Brown urged Williams to be specific when he raise objections and criticise.
She pointed out that the rules of evidence are rules of procedure, hence when Guyana’s law, the Commission of Inquiry Act, give the commissioners the power to make rules for procedure, they would also include rules of evidence.
She also said that in different court proceedings, the rules of evidence may be relaxed to what is allowed. So it is accepted that in different arenas, and for different purposes, the rules of evidence may be relaxed and adjusted, she said.
“I would just like to give my own caution that when you raise these objections, you should be specific to the matter that you are objecting to and not give a wide ranging condemnation,” Ms. Samuels-Brown chided.

On June 13, 1980, Dr. Walter Anthony Rodney was killed by a bomb blast in Georgetown, Guyana. His death has been called an assassination based on the known facts and circumstances surrounding his death. On June 13, 2013, the Guyana Government, following a direct request from the Rodney Family, announced that it has approved the establishment of an International Commission of Inquiry into the assassination of Dr. Walter Rodney.
Sir Richard Cheltenham, K.A., Q.C, Ph.D, was appointed Chairman of the Commission. Mrs. Jaqueline Samuels-Brown, Q.C., and Mr. Seenath Jairam, S.C., are the other two persons on the three-member Commission.