PNC gov’t or state agents behind Rodney’s death – Hamilton

Joseph Hamilton

Former House of Israel priest Joseph Hamilton yesterday suggested that either the PNC government or agents of the state were responsible for Dr. Walter Rodney’s death even as he maintained that his testimony about meetings with top PNC leaders to discuss the disruption of WPA meetings and other matters were factually-based.

Under questioning by attorney Keith Scotland, who is representing Rodney’s brother, Donald at the public hearings hosted by the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into Rodney’s death, Hamilton yesterday said Rodney’s death was an act of terrorism because it was an orchestrated plan against someone who was against the state. It was either high ranking officials or the military arm of the state, he said, who had to have been responsible.

At the conclusion of testimony that stretched into a third day, Hamilton, who is now a PPP Member of Parliament, apologised to all the persons who have been affected by his actions/activities while he was a member of the House of Israel. He had told the members of the commission that he was among the members of the religious organisation that, under the directive of the PNC, would terrorise members of the WPA and use violence in attempts to break up the party’s public meetings.

As he had done on Tuesday, PNCR lawyer Basil Williams attacked Hamilton’s credibility and asked that the commission “strike out”