Walter Rodney Commissioners leave COI report with AG’s Secretary

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry was set up by Former President Donald Ramotar back in 2014 and close to $500 million was spent on the Commission's work.

Walter Rodney Commissioners leave COI report with AG’s Secretary

In what is being considered disrespectful to President David Granger, the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry report was on Tuesday dropped off at the Chambers of the Attorney General, contrary to the formal handing over that was anticipated.

Attorney General Basil Williams confirmed the drop off of the report by an individual to his Secretary.

On Monday, The Commissioners headed by Sir Richard Cheltenham refused to attend a handing over ceremony at the Ministry of the Presidency, claiming that there wasn’t enough ink to print the report.

News Source has since learnt that the Commissioners left Guyana on Tuesday without handing over the report to President Granger.

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry was set up by Former President Donald Ramotar back in 2014 and close to $500 million was spent on the Commission’s work.

Attorney General Williams said the report has since been sent to President David Granger. He explained that the Commissioners did request a meeting on Tuesday but said his Parliamentary obligations rendered him inaccessible.

He said President Granger was also otherwise occupied which may have led the Commissioners to utilize their next best option.

Altogether the Attorney General believes the manner in which the report was handed over reeks of disrespect, he said the Commissioners were requesting, in addition to the monies already received, a writing fee for the compilation of the report.

But when Sir Richard was asked to hand over a copy of the contract he signed for clarification, he said there was none.

Williams said while the government is willing to pay the Commissioners, it is faced with a situation where there is no contract and a budget is yet to be passed for 2016.

He said too that one would have thought that the fee for the compilation of the report would have been covered in the usual fees that the commissioners would have received.

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry was set up to look into the death and circumstances which led to the death of Guyanese politician, Walter Rodney in 1980.

Mr. Rodney, who was the founder of the Working Peoples Alliance, was killed when a bomb exploded in a car he was in.

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