PRESIDENT DISAPPOINTED
Sir Richard Cheltenham
Sir Richard Cheltenham

–Rodney report handover missed deadline
– Cheltenham says was told to drop off report

PRESIDENT David Granger has expressed much disappointment at the inability of the Commissioners of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry to properly arrange their work, so as to enable them to present the Report at the agreed time and date after several requests for extensions had been granted.

“The President was extremely disappointed to learn that the Commissioners were unable to present the Report at the agreed time and date. The President, after waiting a while, thereafter resorted to keeping the appointments which he had previously scheduled,” a statement from the Ministry of the Presidency said on Saturday.

The Ministry’s statement follows a statement by Sir Richard Cheltenham, Chairman of the CoI into the death of Dr Walter Rodney, who in his statement sought to clear the air about what really transpired and resulted in the CoI report not being presented to President David Granger on Monday, February 8.

Sir Richard has claimed that the Commission was instructed to deliver its report to the Secretary of the Attorney General, as President David Granger was unavailable to meet with Commissioners last Tuesday; but the Ministry of the Presidency says the excuse provided by the Commission is unacceptable.

According to the Ministry, President Granger was informed that the Commissioners were preparing to hand over the report, and, as such, he facilitated them.

“President Granger was informed that the Commissioners were prepared to hand over the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Death of Dr. Walter Rodney to him in person. The President immediately agreed to receive the report, and actually altered his schedule to meet with the Commissioners at 12:00 hours on Monday, February 8, 2016.

“The President was informed at that time, however, that the Commissioners would not meet him because the report had not yet been printed,” the Ministry of the Presidency said.

Referring to the number of times the Commission received extensions from both former President Donald Ramotar and current President David Granger since the Commission began, the Ministry noted that: “After two years, the Commissioners still found it impossible to keep an agreed appointment to present the Report of the Commission of Inquiry.”

The release stated noting that after waiting a while for the Commissioners to present the report, President Granger “resorted to keeping the appointments which he had previously scheduled.”

The Commission was scheduled to hand over the report to the President on Monday, February 8, but Sir Richard Cheltenham had claimed to have run out of ink to print the report.

In a statement to the media dated February 12, Sir Richard said it was first the Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General Basil Williams who told the Commissioners to take the report to his office, as both he (Williams) and President Granger would be unavailable the Tuesday.
Finding the instruction to be improper, the Chairman and Commissioner Seenath Jairam decided to make a pitch to the President with the hope that he would accommodate them on Tuesday. Attempts by the Commissioners proved futile.

“As the Commissioners, we felt that it would be improper and inappropriate to deliver a Presidential Report to the Office of the Attorney General, and that we should try to discover when, on the next day, Tuesday, the President could receive us.

“With that in mind, the Chairman did try twice, unsuccessfully, to reach the President to explain our unavoidable difficulty, and ascertain whether we could deliver the Report to him personally on Tuesday,” said Sir Richard.

On Tuesday morning, the Chairman of the CoI instructed Hugh Denbow, the Commission’s administrator, to contact the President’s office to find out when on the said day the President could accommodate the Chairman and Commissioner.

According to Sir Richard’s statement, Denbow advised him that the time slated for the delivery of the report was set tentatively at 12:30pm, but that time needed confirmation.
Denbow was unable to confirm the said time, after repeatedly calling the Ministry of the Presidency. As such, the Commission’s Chairman, along with Commissioner Jairam, visited the Ministry of the Presidency, identified themselves, cleared security and were taken to a waiting room.

“We were taken to a room where we waited for the President. After about twenty-five (25) minutes, a lady (whom we assumed to be the President’s secretary) came and informed us that the President would not be able to see us, as he was otherwise engaged.

“She added that he had instructed that we should take the Report to the Secretary to the Attorney General and leave it with her. That we did just before 2:00 pm,” the statement said.
Sir Richard said the Commission was keen on discharging its obligation by handing over the report.

PREPARATIONS FOR COMMISSIONERS
The CoI Chairman noted that prior to the commissioners’ arrival in Guyana, all assurances were given that the requisite preparations would be made to facilitate their visit. On arrival, the Commissioners appreciated that that had not been done. “On the first working day in Guyana, Monday 1st February, 2016, no fixed space had been assigned for the completion of our work. We were taken to a building being outfitted as the headquarters for all future commissions. We also visited the premises previously assigned to us.

“We agreed that we would work there, but the premises had to be cleaned overnight and staff recruited to begin work the next day. It was only close to midday on Tuesday, 2nd February, 2016, that the premises were made available. However, the Secretariat had no printer, but only a photocopying machine.”

According to the statement, on February 8, while the “typed version of the Report” was being printed at the hotel at which the Commissioners were staying, the Chairman was notified that ink had run out. The Secretariat was contacted for a replacement, and the Commissioners were advised that the Secretariat had no ink and it would have to be procured by the Administrator of the Commission’s Secretariat, Denbow.

“We were further advised that the Secretariat had tried and failed to reach Mr. Denbow.

“The Chairman tried to reach Mr. Denbow, without success. At 11:15 am on that said morning, he came to see us at the Marriott Hotel, and explained that he had been meeting with aviation officials visiting the country and apologised for being out of reach.

“He said further that he had provided ink days before in anticipation of the printing, and was surprised that it had run out. He, however, left the hotel and returned at 11:45 am with the additional ink, which he purchased personally. We then re-commenced the printing of the report.”

Sir Richard said that when he first learned of the issue with the ink, he “immediately contacted Attorney General Basil Williams” and advised him of the difficulties.

“He said that the President, who was already fed-up, would be disappointed, and he gave us the contact numbers for the President at his Monday office,” Sir Richard’s statement said.

It was the intention of the Commission to submit the report to the President the said day, but was informed that he was unavailable.

NO CONTRACT; NO WRITING FEE
Meanwhile, Sir Richard noted that the Commissioners were working without a signed contract, something he said was not uncommon in Commissions of Inquiry. Notwithstanding, the Chairman sent a letter to the then Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, on February 10, 2014, reflecting on the terms of engagement which had been agreed with the Chairman and the other Commissioners at the Amaryllis Hotel in Barbados on February 8, 2014.

The Commissioners have since agreed to a reduction of their fees, and were paid in accordance with the agreed reduction.

“One of the elements of our engagement included a writing fee for the Commissioners, as is the norm. A writing fee is a standard part of the engagement of Commissioners. It reflects the reality that Commissioners have to spend considerable time, separate and apart from hearing the evidence, in analysing and writing up the Report.

“It is the fee paid to Commissioners for the final phase of their responsibilities.”

Sir Richard noted that the writing fee was scheduled to be paid in full ten days before the delivery of the report, but this was not done. The Chairman also dispatched letters on the subject of the writing fees to the Administrator, Hugh Denbow, and Attorney General Williams.

“Notwithstanding that, none of the writing fee was paid. The Commissioners went to Guyana determined to discharge their responsibilities under the Terms of Reference, and have done so,” he added.

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