Selwyn: August 2015

By Selwyn A. Pieters, B.A., LL.B., L.E.C.
Lawyer & Notary Public (Ontario, Canada)
Attorney-at-Law (Republic of Guyana, Island of Trinidad)
Created August 05, 2015 Updated February 03, 2016

The Report of the International Commission of Inquiry into the death of Dr. Walter Rodney aka the Rodney Commission of Inquiry or Rodney COI is scheduled to be delivered to H.E. David Arthur Granger, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana on February 08, 2016. Initially the President provided the Commission with a deadline of November 30, 2015 in which to produce its findings and recommendations. However, extensions were provided to enable the Commission to complete its work.

On June 13, 2013, the thirty-third anniversary of the June 13, 1980 explosion that killed Dr. Walter Rodney, the Government of the Republic of Guyana announced that it has approved the establishment of an International Commission of Inquiry into the death of Dr. Walter Rodney.

In February 2014, the then President of the Republic of Guyana, His Excellency, Donald Ramotar, appointed The Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry. Three
Commissioners were sworn in to probe the matter: Sir. Richard L. Cheltenham, K.A.,
Q.C., Ph.D – Chairman (Barbados); Mrs. Jacqueline Samuels-Brown, Q.C. (Jamaica)
and Mr. Seenath Jairam, S.C. (Trinidad).

The Commission’s mandate established by its terms of reference was:-

(i) To examine the facts and circumstances immediately prior, at the time of, and subsequent to, the death of Dr. Walter Rodney in order to determine, as far as possible, who or what was responsible for the explosion resulting in the death of Dr. Walter Rodney;
(ii) To inquire into the cause of the explosion in which Dr. Walter Rodney died, whether it was an act of terrorism, and if so, who were the perpetrators;
(iii) To specifically examine the role, if any, which the late Gregory Smith, Sergeant of the Guyana Defence Force, played in the death of Dr. Walter Rodney and if so, to inquire into who may have counselled, procured, aided and or abetted him to do so, including facilitating his departure from Guyana after Dr. Walter Rodney’s death;
(iv) To examine and report on the actions and activities of the State, such as, the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana National Service, the Guyana People’s Militia and those who were in command and superintendence of these agencies, to determine whether they were tasked with the surveillance of and the carrying out of actions, and whether they did execute those tasks and carried out those actions against the Political Opposition, for the period 1st January, 1978 to 31st December, 1980;
(v) To examine, review and report on earlier investigations and enquiries done on and into the death of Dr. Walter Rodney.

The first session of public hearing commenced on April 28, 2014 and concluded on
May 02, 2014.

The last session of public hearing in which evidence was elicited from witnesses commenced at 0930 hours on March 23, 2015 and concluded on March 27, 2015. The main witness Donald Rodney, first appeared on January 30, 2015 and continued his evidence from March 23, 2015. His evidence was followed by another significant witness Anne Wagner, the sister of William Gregory Smith.

The Commission has not seen fit to create a repository of important evidence, submissions, news reports and other documents relative to the Commission. This blog therefore is the most comprehensive collective of material in relation to the work of the Rodney Commission of Inquiry.

Final Sitting of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry

A final sitting of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry took place from the 27th July, 2015 to 31st July, 2015.

Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th July, 2015 was allocated to the attorneys for interested parties to provide oral submissions.

Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry - Written Arguments of Counsel for the People's National Congress

Basil Williams and Selwyn A. Pieters, Written Submissions of the People's National Congress, July 23, 2015

Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry - Oral Arguments of Counsel for the People's National Congress

PNC Counsel Submissions Part 1

PNC Counsel Submissions Part 2

PNC Counsel Submissions Part 3

PNC Counsel Submissions Part 4

PNC Counsel Submissions Part 5

Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry - Arguments of Counsel for the Commission and Counsel for the Immediate Family of Dr. Walter Rodney

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Selwyn A. Pieters and Brian M. Clarke, Written submissions of the Guyana Trades Union Congress, July 24, 2015

Andrew Pilgrim, Q.C., Closing argument of the Immediate family, July 24, 2015

Keith Scotland, Closing Argument of Donald Rodney, July 24, 2015

Latchmie Rahmahat, Closing Argument of Commission Counsel, July 28, 2015

Christopher Ram, Closing Argument on behalf of the Working People's Alliance, July 28, 2015.

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Selwyn A. Pieters, B.A. (Toronto), LL.B. (Osgoode), L.E.C. (U.W.I). Lawyer & Notary Public (Ontario). Attorney-at-Law (Republic of Guyana and Republic of Trinidad and Tobago).

By Selwyn A. Pieters, B.A., LL.B., L.E.C.

Lawyer & Notary Public (Ontario, Canada)
Attorney-at-Law (Republic of Guyana, Island of Trinidad)
Created August 05, 2015

I post this video taken on August 04, 2015 at the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown Guyanaand these pictures taken one year ago in August 2014, where I experienced a problem with a roach infestation problem at the Pegasus Guyana. I expected to see much improvement in 2015, however, lo and behold, in 2015 very little has changed including customer service.

From: Selwyn Pieters
To: susan Isaacs @pegasushotelguyana.com
Cc: reservations @pegasushotelguyana.com
Date: Monday, August 03, 2015 08:02 pm
Subject: Pegasus

Good evening Susan,

I was hoping I would not have to write you this trip but I do have to. As you know I was in 2007, and I had an invasion of ants in the room. Not sure how house-keeping would have missed that. I spent Sunday and part of Monday in Berbice. When I returned Monday evening there were scores of fine ants in the room. I called down to the reception desk to relay my concerns about 4:15 p.m. I requested that housekeeping spray the room and bring a mop to mop up the ants. One hour later no one arrived. I went down to the front desk, to see the duty manager. It took a while waiting. So I left and took a walk outside the hotel. When I returned I waited for some time for the duty manager and had to return to the room since the duty manager did not come to the front desk. He arrived at 6:22 p.m. I was then moved to room 3006 shortly after 6:30 p.m.

The excuse that the on-call manager provided for no seeing me earlier was simply not acceptable. What can be more important (apart from an emergency such as a fire or robbery or medical emergency) than responding to a customer whose room is swarmed with ants?

I stayed at the Pegasus this trip because I had to old family members who I brought along on holidays and I thought this would be good. I am very disappointed.

My aunty who stayed in room 715 complained that her luggage was piflfered and belongings stolen. She was also concerned that the housekeeping staff left two bath towels in the room and showed up late almost every evening with a washclothe. It seemed very irregular to her.

This cannot be the best customer service that Pegasus can offer. It just cannot be....

Yours very truly,

Selwyn A. Pieters, B.A., LL.B., L.E.C.
Lawyer & Notary Public