CHAIRMAN of the Alliance for Change (AFC) and Attorney at Law, Nigel Hughes has still not issued a formal apology to Chairman of the Linden Commission of Inquiry, Justice Lensley Wolfe, after his outburst at the Commission and utterances of a few words which were deemed “unacceptable, disrespectful and unprofessional.”
Wolfe had upbraided Hughes after realizing that he made a highly offensive statement to the E&F Division Senior Superintendent, Clifton Hicken.   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 questions 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 of the Commander.
 
The Attorney-at-Law has come in for heavy criticisms from sitting members of the Guyana Bar Association, the country’s Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall and several other distinguished legal luminaries.
 
His response and the manner in which he dealt with Commissioner’s Wolfe’s concerns were viewed and described by the ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic as “egotistic and haughty.” Hughes who aspires to become a Senior Counsel has been the centre of controversy and alleged race banter since the Commission of Inquiry took shape earlier in the year.
 
“Hughes should apologise and I think Commissioner Wolfe’s rebuke of the statement he made was in order. He was functioning as a respected lawyer and not a water-down politician at the Inquiry”, a former president of the Bar Association argued.
 
Maria Thomas, a supporter of the AFC told the Guyana Chronicle that while she supports her party’s position for the need for an Inquiry, she does not support Hughes’ disrespect to Commissioner Wolfe and subsequent departure from the Inquiry only to return in shame the day after.
“Is the same way, he does behave inside the party with no respect for the seniors there or anybody. Hughes needs to show the man respect and he will receive respect”, she concluded.