Ms Gail Teixeira, M.P. to move the following motion:WHEREAS the Report on “The Commission of Inquiry Appointed To Enquire and Report On the Circumstances Surrounding The Death in An Explosion Of the Late Dr. Walter Rodney On Thirteenth Day Of June, One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Eighty at Georgetown” was handed over to the Government of Guyana on February 10, 2016; AND WHEREAS the Government laid Volume 1 of the Report of the Commission of Inquiry in the National Assembly on May 12, 2016; AND WHEREAS the Commission in its Report presented its findings including “Critical Findings and Summary on Gregory Smith” and 11 significant recommendations, BE IT RESOLVED: That this National Assembly adopts the Report and its findings; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the National Assembly calls on the Government to take measures to implement the recommendations therein in order to ensure that the democratic architecture of the state is preserved and strengthened. (Notice Paper No. 52 (M41 Opp. 8) published on 2016-05-31)
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).
(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
Jamaica Hansard. 1968-1969. Proceedings of the House of Representatives of Jamaica October 17, 1968 (Rodney Affair 01, 02, 03) - "National Security of Jamaica"
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).
