THE Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the July 18, 2012 killings during the protests at the Wismar/Mackenzie Bridge, in Linden, has been completed and its report to be presented to President Donald Ramotar, by the end of the month. But Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. Anil Nandlall is of the view that the evidence, thus far, has in fact, exonerated Home Affairs Minister, Mr. Clement Rohee of any wrongdoing.
Speaking at the first People’s Progressive Party (PPP) press conference for the year, he said:”Up to now, we have not been told what wrong Clement Rohee has done.”
The Administration has, steadfastly, stood behind the minister, following the fatal shootings in Linden, allegedly by ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
According to Nandlall, there has been “not a single piece of evidence adduced, which could tend to connect Rohee with any form of impropriety.”
Minister Rohee is, currently, attending the 24th Intersessional Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government, in Haiti, along with President Ramotar, where the focus of the agenda is crime and security in the Caribbean Region.
Nandlall, in Minister Rohee’s stead on Monday, told members of the local media corps that the testimony provided, thus far, to the CoI, has, in fact “exculpated Clement Rohee from any form of wrong.”
The AG, weighing in on the ban of Rohee in Parliament, again questioned its basis.
           
Denial
Nandlall charged that the position taken by the combined Opposition is, in fact, tantamount to a denial of rights.
He said, at the minimum, the Opposition, through its gag on the Minister, is denying 5,000 Guyanese their right to be heard by their elected representative.
“Every member of the Guyana Parliament, including Opposition members, has a right to represent the people…that is a right of the Guyanese populace.”
Nandlall insisted that the process by which a person is propelled to a seat in the National Assembly is no mystery and involves the participation of the Guyanese electorate.
The Guyana Government, along with the Region 10 Administration, in August last year, signed an agreement to have the CoI established, for, among other things, to determine culpability as it relates to the deaths of Lindeners Shemroy Boyeau, Ron Somerset and Allan Lewis.
The Commission, headed by former Jamaican Justice Lensley Wolfe, heard months of testimony from eyewitnesses, victims, police ranks and Minister  Rohee.
Other members of the Commission were  Justice K.D. Knights, also from Jamaica, Trinidadian lawyer Dana Seetahal and Guyanese Justices Cecil Kennard and Claudette Singh.

Identification
Among their terms of reference was the identification of the police unit deployed at the scene of the bridge, its composition and training in crowd control, whether or who gave the order to fire and whether the police had justification for the use of lethal force.
The Commission was also mandated to inquire what, if any, specific instructions were issued by the Minister of Home Affairs to the GPF to maintain law and order in Linden on that day.
The CoI is also required to make recommendations for compensation, where necessary, for injuries, losses or damages suffered as a consequence of the events of July 18, 2012.
The hearings began in September last at the Law Library in the Supreme Court compound, Georgetown.