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HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon said, Wednesday, that, as the Linden Commission of Inquiry (COI) progresses, evidence that disputes pre-inquiry public statements is repeatedly being heard. And emphatic assertions about the police role and conduct have been unsubstantiated, he told his usual post-Cabinet media briefing at Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown.
He said: “I am focusing on what was said (so far in the inquiry) what we were led to believe and what occupied the headlines prior to the onset of the inquiry. And now, sadly, these matters, those contentions, have apparently fallen. Maybe not fallen, thrown by the wayside.”
Luncheon continued: “Before the inquiry started, we were invited to believe, we were told that evidence exists and proof, extraordinary, would be provided on certain facts, certain occurrences.”
He pointed out that the hearing is not yet complete and is only about 16 days old now. Hence, there is any amount of information that could be provided before it ends.
“The hearings, so far, continue to provide clarity on events and some basis for future decision making on the critical aspects of the terms of reference guiding the COI. After the 16th day of the hearings, it is incontrovertible that what has been presented as evidence, so far, has, indeed, been quite a useful basis for repudiating quite a few statements that have been made about the events in Linden.”
He said: “I am focusing on what was said (so far in the inquiry) what we were led to believe and what occupied the headlines prior to the onset of the inquiry. And now, sadly, these matters, those contentions, have apparently fallen. Maybe not fallen, thrown by the wayside.”
Luncheon continued: “Before the inquiry started, we were invited to believe, we were told that evidence exists and proof, extraordinary, would be provided on certain facts, certain occurrences.”
He pointed out that the hearing is not yet complete and is only about 16 days old now. Hence, there is any amount of information that could be provided before it ends.
“The hearings, so far, continue to provide clarity on events and some basis for future decision making on the critical aspects of the terms of reference guiding the COI. After the 16th day of the hearings, it is incontrovertible that what has been presented as evidence, so far, has, indeed, been quite a useful basis for repudiating quite a few statements that have been made about the events in Linden.”
More repudiation
“There are quite a few more days of the hearings and, if the tendency prevails, there will be quite a bit more of repudiation, statements, pre-inquiry statements becoming unsubstantiated and essentially shown to be either maliciously made or at best inaccurate,” Luncheon declared.
The COI surrounds the last July 18 shooting to death of three men at the Mackenzie Bridge in Linden, during protests over proposed electricity tariff hikes.
The proceedings, being conducted in the Law Library building in the High Court compound, are presided over by Commission Chairman Lensley Wolfe and Commissioners Dana Seetahal, K.D. Knight, Cecil Kennard and Claudette Singh.
