The report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Lindo Creek killings is expected to be completed within three weeks’ time, Commissioner Justice Donald Trotman has stated, however, attempts are still being made to solicit interviews from members of the former administration.
Justice Trotman related such yesterday, before the memorial service held by the families of the eight miners, at the Brickdam Cathedral.
Noting certain challenges faced in the report’s compilation, Trotman stated that one such has been getting individuals to follow through with providing interviews to the commission. Included among those persons are former President Bharrat Jagdeo, former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, and former Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee. Jagdeo had been president at the time the killings occurred.
“In the period we have left before submission, even at this stage, we are making every effort to have some persons who have been unavailable or who have been recalcitrant to come forward so that their contribution to the report and to the conclusion will be helpful in having the commission come to the knowledge of truth,” the retired judge related.
Mentioning the former members of government, he said, “We hope that they will have a change of mind so that they will help in having satisfactory solutions and conclusions to support and that their input will be helpful and valuable.”
Justice Trotman noted that the aforementioned persons would have expressed reservations about the process, but it was hoped that with time, those reservations would have been removed and the request reconsidered so the commission could have the “benefit of their views and opinions”.
As for the commission’s findings, he said, “We hope that our conclusions, our findings, would be reasonable, fair and acceptable to all parties concerned. And particularly to the relatives of the deceased persons, who I think at this stage, are the most important persons in the field of play.”
