CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – PUBLIC hearings in the Commission of Inquiry established to investigate and report on the circumstances surrounding several government transactions over the period 1996-2006 have been suspended indefinitely.
This position was taken after counsels representing the Commission and former Premier Vance Amory and the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) appeared before Justice Ianthea Leigertwood-Octave today (July 23) to deal with an injunction filed by the latter to stop the proceedings.
Counsel for CCM, Mark Brantley said after the brief meeting that there would be no injunction hearing since counsel for the Commission agreed that there would be no further public hearings.
“The purpose today was to try and get an injunction until we could resolve the matter. So they have undertaken to stop until then. The court has set a quick timetable so we can resolve the matter as soon as possible.”
A release from the Commission’s Secretariat said Premier Amory’s counsel indicated that they had sought advice and now proposed to add a “constitutional claim”, which would require the Attorney General to be joined in the action.
According to the release, he also indicated that as it had become clear that no public hearings would take place until late September, at the earliest, the perceived urgency had disappeared.
The release said that the case would go forward with the full approval of Justice Leigertwood-Octave with the hope of a speedy trial sometime in August. Friday, July 31 is the date set for a timetabling hearing in the Judge’s chambers where a trial date is also expected to be set.
In the interim, the Premier Amory’s revised case would be served on the Defendants and Attorney General.
According to the release, none of this affects the work of the Commission which would continue collecting evidence, conducting interviews and preparing statements behind the scenes.
Counsel for the Commission, Sir Richard Cheltenham told reporters that it is almost normal in these days for challenges to be mounted to Commissions of Inquiry. He mentioned the McIntyre Commission in Antigua, the Ottley Hall Project in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and one he served on as Commissioner in Grenada as examples.
“You are fortunate these days if you have a Commission without a challenge.”
He however declared that some 70 percent have been unsuccessful.
