By Prior Beharry
THE Commission of Enquiry into the tragic incident at Paria Fuel Trading Company on February 25, 2022, has been starved of resources.
It had no administrative staff until Monday this week.
This was revealed by Chairman of the Enquiry Jerome Lynch, QC, at the procedural hearings at Tower D of the International Financial Centre, Wrightson Road in Port of Spain on Wednesday.
Lynch said the Commission’s offices at the Southern Academy of the Performing Arts (SAPA) were only completed on August 26.
He said that Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Stuart Young had to “plunder” chairs and desks from the Office of the Prime Minister to furnish the offices at SAPA.
Lynch noted too that Young was currently away on Government business with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
He said evidential hearings would begin on November 21.
On the second day, the Commission will visit the site of the tragedy.
Hearings will take place in three phases: November 21 to 25, December 5 to 8 and 12 to 15.
Lynch said as a contingency, he has put aside January 9 -13 next year but doesn’t anticipate that these days will be needed.
He said the Commission has received 40 individual statements and 13 documents including video footage.
He said this was too much for Secretary of the Commission Sarah Sinanan to process alone.
Lynch said there was a limit to what one person could do.
He said the change in chairmanship and lack of resources have caused a delay in the Enquiry. Dennis Morrison resigned as chairman for personal reasons.
Subsea specialist Gregory Wilson is the only other commissioner.
Lynch called on anyone with information critical to the tragedy to come forward.
