The Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry into last year's April riots, Brian Brunton, last week lashed out at the failure of certain witnesses to appear before the Commission describing the act as a waste of tax payers' money and a waste of time.
A visibly annoyed Mr. Brunton made the comment last Thursday when the Inquiry was informed that the day's hearing would be adjourned due to the absence of an Inquiry witness.The previous day, a hearing was also adjourned when a special appointee in the former Government, Robson Djokovic, failed to show up at the hearing after being invited to appear as a witness.
A frustrated Mr. Brunton said the absence of witnesses to appear for the Commission's hearings caused inconsistency to the function of the Commission of Inquiry. Mr. Brunton said the Commission's hearings cost the country's tax payers SBD$700-00 an hour so it was important that witnesses appear before the Commission when invited or summoned to ensure proper proceedings of the riot Inquiry.
Meanwhile, when asked by a council assisting the riot Inquiry why journalists who were at the Parliament House during last year's riots did not appear as witnesses to the Inquiry, Mr. Brunton said the Commission of Inquiry had strict procedures in place which were extremely sensitive to the people called to appear before the riot Inquiry.
The Commission of Inquiry's hearings will continue this week.