Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Symon de Nobriga, has assured that the State has begun to deliver the resources requested by Queens Counsel Jerome Lynch who is chairing the Commission of Enquiry (CoE) into the Paria diving tragedy.
de Nobriga was responding to an urgent question posed to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley by the Member of Parliament for Couva South, Rudranath Indarsingh. Dr Rowley is currently out of the country on official business.
During his reply, the Minister denied that there was an “absence” of resources for the CoE, instead referring to it as a request for “additional” resources by the Chairman.
He also pledged, on behalf of the State, to ensure that the CoE has all the tools it needs to complete its investigation.
“I can assure the members of this House that this government will continue to do everything that is in their remit to ensure that the Commission of Enquiry is resourced and the Commission will conduct its business as they see fit.”
On Wednesday, during the CoE’s first hearing since its establishment, QC Lynch said his team lacked office furniture, equipment, staff and even stationery to conduct an efficient probe into the deaths of divers Fyzal Kurban, Rishi Nagassar, Kazim Ali Jr and Yusuf Henry. A fifth person, Christopher Boodram, was the lone survivor
Yesterday, the Office of the President (OTP) clarified its role in CoEs following statements by Attorney General Reginald Armour who, when asked about complaints of under-resourcing, told reporters to forward their questions to the OTP and the CoE’s lead counsel Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj.
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