Commission Chairman nixes approach to Hughes

Discussions about having attorney Nigel Hughes return to the Linden Commission of Inquiry this morning were terminated after Chairman of the Commission Justice Lensley Wolfe stated that he will not “participate in that”.

Hughes yesterday said he was withdrawing after his line of questioning of the former police commander Clifton Hicken was disallowed by Justice Wolfe.

Hughes’ return was suggested by Commissioner Claudette Singh who said she would like to invite the attorney, who was representing the interest of the families of Allan Lewis, Ron Somerset and Shemroy Bouyea, to “reply”. Justice Wolfe, after declaring that he would not participate in so doing, noted that he will not contact Hughes since he was the one who took the decision to leave the inquiry. “I won’t be contacting him. I don’t know how the others feel, if there’s a majority then that’s that,” he stated.

Commissioner Dana Seetahal then pointed out that if Hughes wishes to make an appearance, he is free to do so. “It’s up to him. It’s not up to the bench to solicit an attorney to make an appearance,” she posited.

Justice Wolfe then affirmed that Hughes has not yet officially notified members of the commission that he is withdrawing. “That kind of discourtesy I will not accommodate,” the Chairman further stated.

It remains unclear whether Hughes will reappear at the commission whose last hearing will be today at the library of the Supreme Court.