CHAIRMAN of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) Justice Linsley Woolfe, yesterday afternoon, intervened into what was an exchange of words between attorney for the deceased, Mr. Nigel Hughes and former Commander of E&F

Division Senior Superintendent Clifton Hicken. The chairman sought from Hughes his withdrawal of a statement made.
His move came after a testy exchange between him and the Chairman of the Commission over Senior Superintendent Clifton Hicken who during a series of questioning said he “could not recall”. When Hicken turned to the Commissioners asking them if he could get permission to…He was interrupted by Hughes before completing his request, who chimed in asking if he was seeking permission “to shoot him (Hughes).”
The Chairman felt the remark “to shoot him” was inappropriate for the COI and urged Hughes to withdraw his statement which he had made a moment ago, but he told the Chairman he could not recollect what he had said and the Chairman then told him that if he does not do so he would not be able to continue cross-examining the Commander.
Commission member KD Knights sought to question Hicken as to the path in which he thinks the Guyana Police Force should use to patch the gap between themselves and the citizens of Guyana.
Justice Cecil Kennard on conclusion of Knights’ presentation to Hicken asked Hughes if he was going to at this time withdraw his statement and he indicated that he will not do so as he had spoken to the relatives of the three families to which he represent and do not wish to continue.
Minutes later as Hicken was asked to stand down, Hughes left the COI and the media representatives followed for a comment as he told the media “I’ve spoken my mind and I’m no longer in a position to be able to adequately provide representation,” he said, maintaining that he had no reason to apologise.
When asked if the interests of the victims would have been better served with him in the hearings, Hughes stated that the evidence produced is available and he was confident that the public and the people of Linden have heard what had transpired and will make their own judgment.
“I am no longer appearing, I still represent the citizens but I am no longer in a position to discharge my professional responsibilities to them because I’ve been precluded from asking questions,” Hughes stated.
Efforts by this newspaper to have comments from the relatives of the three persons who died, and who Hughes were representing proved futile.
Meanwhile, in a discussion on the National Communications Network (NCN last evening where the Attorney General (AG), Mr. Anil Nandalall and Mr. Manzoor Nadir hosted by Mr. Edward Layne, the AG stated that the Commission of Inquiry into the Linden shooting where three persons died and a number of others injured, presented the people of Guyana with a unique opportunity to see the transparency of the government.
The engagement of all concerned including the opposition was made and the agreement of the terms of reference to the operating and guidelines of the inquiry was established.
It was the same opposition that had then indicated the selection of commissioners and sought international selection organized by Alliance For Change (AFC) member, Nigel Hughes where the CARICOM Secretariat was involved in the recruitment process.
Weeks after contact was established, the drafting of the terms of references which saw other contentions by the opposition where they propelled the information that the police had shot and killed three persons and had injured a number of citizens in Linden and that the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Clement Rohee had been responsible for the shooting at protesters who were said to be lawful and peaceful.
A ballistics expert from the United Kingdom, Dr. Mark Robinson who came at the request of the opposition and had visited the site, did
his tests and found that the pellets were not of those used by members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and was shot from a long range to the persons it came into contact with, as all efforts to incriminate the members of the GPF continued.

The continuation of implication of the Home Affairs Minister and the beginning of the no confidence campaign which started in Guyana and moved to the National Assembly was unfolded as the opposition continued under the Nigel Hughes mandate.
These events were embroiled after two activities where the police were involved in shooting in the city and at Agricola and were instigated again by Hughes’s comments and motivation after seeking a 48 hours ultimatum from the President of Guyana.
Hughes again sought to bring to the COI telephone records to incriminate the minister and the then Commander of the E&F Divisions for responsibility of the killings at Linden where they failed in the bid.
The impatience and incompetence of those set out to destroy the government of the day showed clearly in the week as the Minister of Home Affairs was invited to the COI to speak on two terms of reference which they taught would have been the breaking point.
According to Nandlall, Hughes action yesterday at the COI where some of the Caribbean’s most distinguished personnel of the highest integrity sat was seen as a disregard to the people of Guyana, the Guyana Bar Association, National Assembly and the legal profession and a great disregard of law.