As the November 30 deadline approaches for the completion of the report by the Commis-sion of Inquiry (CoI) into the assassination of Dr Walter Rodney the PPP is warning the government not to delay in its public dissemination, as this would be viewed with “deep suspicion.”
General Secretary Clement Rohee stated that the PPP, “looks forward with great anticipation to the release of the report to the public.”
He said, “Any undue delay in releasing the report to the public will be viewed with deep suspicion and may only add to the already pent-up resentment on the part of thousands in Guyana and abroad…” against the truncated CoI.
When a member of the media drew a parallel between the PPP’s demands for the government to release the CoI report and the latter’s demands when in opposition for the then PPP administration to release the Parmesar report which investigated fraud allegations at the state owned National Communication Network, Rohee responded, “Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
He said, “You see this comparative analysis we keep making, you didn’t do this so why are you calling on them to do that? Is wrong; two wrongs don’t make a right.”
He quickly shut down further questions when asked directly if he was admitting that it was wrong that former president Donald Ramotar had not released the NCN report. He said, “Let us move on.”
Since assuming power the APNU+AFC government concluded the CoI, citing excessive spending.
Chairman Sir Richard Cheltenham had warned that owing to the imposed and sudden end of the CoI the terms of references may be incomplete which could alter the fairness of the report.
The CoI began in April 2014 and continued in early this year. According to the Terms of Reference, the commissioners were to examine the facts and circumstances immediately prior, at the time of and subsequent to the death of Rodney in order to determine as far as possible who or what was responsible for the explosion resulting in his death.
The commissioners were to enquire into the cause of the explosion in which Rodney died, including whether it was an act of terrorism and if so who were the perpetrators.
The then PNC government had been accused of engineering Rodney’s assassination on June 13, 1980.
