EVEN with hundreds of millions expended into the Commission of Inquiry into the death of Working People’s Alliance (WPA) leader Dr. Walter Rodney, and calls from Rodney’s family for an extension of the Commission’s proceedings, the Government is adamant there will be no extension of the Commission. Governance Minister Raphael Trotman was asked yesterday at a post-cabinet press brief whether Government would consider a continuation by two weeks of the Rodney Commission of Inquiry.
Trotman said the collective decision taken by Cabinet was not only to save the money of taxpayers, but also what he called “further embarrassment.” The Minister’s comments come against the backdrop of a petition currently before the Commissioners of the Rodney Commission by Counsels representing the surviving Rodney family, and Donald Rodney, the brother of the deceased party leader.
Trotman observed that close to $1B has been spent on the Commission thus far. The Rodney Commission commenced hearings in 2013 under then President Ramotar. Both the WPA and the People’s National Congress (PNC) parties were represented through the Commission’s 60+ days of hearing.
The WPA and the PNC are currently parties within the APNU bloc of the new coalition Government. Rodney had been the leader of the WPA at the time of his death, during which PNC founder Forbes Burnham was Prime Minister.
Since coming to power after the May 11 General and Regional Elections, the coalition Government had uncovered what has been deemed excessive spending, and cited this as justification for discontinuation of the Rodney CoI.
Trotman said the Commission “appeared as nothing more than a charade for electioneering purposes, put on as a side-show by the former Administration.” This was a position similarly shared by the WPA in recent times, but on Tuesday at the final day of submission, the party called for the extension of one or two weeks to facilitate the testimonies of crucial witnesses.
At Tuesday’s final sitting of the Commission at the Supreme Court, Counsel representing the WPA, Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram, said, on behalf of his client, that while the entity recognises the right of the new Government to bring the Commission to an end, “there is nothing more that can render this exercise a waste of public resources than an inconclusive finding by this Commission”.
“The WPA,” he continued, “does not encourage or condone the waste of public resources, but it will be a sad day when democracy, the search for truth, and the opportunity for hearing and reconciliation are measured only in dollars and cents”.
Trotman said, however, he has difficulty believing that any extension would “deliver anything that is earth shattering.” The petition is expected to be submitted to President David Granger, but the posture of the Administration seems to be one of no consideration.
Meanwhile, the Commission is expected to produce its final report with findings and recommendations by the end of November.