Georgetown : Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the death of Dr. Walter Rodney Sir Richard Cheltenham has dismissed A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) opposition to the involvement of Senior Counsel Seenauth Jairam’s involvement in the commission.
Jairam from Trinidad and Tobago, in addition to Cheltenham and Queen’s Counsel Jacqueline Samuels-Brown from Jamaica were sworn in on February 25 as the three commissioners to examine and report on the actions leading to, or causing Dr. Rodney’s death.
However, the APNU has publicly voiced their disagreement to Jairam’s appointment on the grounds that he worked with the government against the opposition on the Budget 2012 case.
When a member of the media noted the Opposition’s concerns to the Chairman yesterday, during a press conference at the Supreme Court, he responded by noting that the Attorney General would have dealt with that matter extensively. “I do not care to add to it, and would only say that I do not see how working in a brief for the government will mean or can mean he is infected with bias,” Cheltenham said.
He pointed out that, “There is nothing more to that issue, as it really has no leg.”
He noted that a lawyer, in getting jobs, applies the “cab-ride” principle, which is, you take whatever comes next in the same way that the next taxi that passes, if you are interested, you go with him.”
The Commission Chairman also responded to concerns regarding the terms of reference of the commission. He noted that this is not a matter for the commission, since its job is to work within the terms set out by the sponsoring authority, which in this case is the Government of Guyana. “We work within the framework we have been given,” he said.
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