Commission awaits AG’s advice

ATTORNEY General Glenda Morean was expected to give advice yesterday to the Commission of Inquiry into the Piarco airport development project, on whether four of the five members of the commission constitute a quorum and can hear evidence.

Yesterday when the commission met for the 145th day at the Caribbean Court of Justice, Chairman Clinton Bernard said the commission was still awaiting the “authorities” advice and as such did not intend to take any evidence. He added that he expected to hear from the “authorities by the end of the day.” As a result, Bernard adjourned the taking of further evidence from Peter Cateau, the Ministry of Works and Transport client representative to Monday at 9.30 am. At that time, lead counsel for the commission Theodore Guerra, SC is expected to further question Cateau, providing the AG’s advice is given.

Cateau, in the absence of his lawyers, Keith Scotland and Dawn Mohan, submitted several documents to the commission. He was supposed to have submitted the documents last week. The Commission’s hesitancy to hear evidence stems from the illness of one of the Commissioners, Peter Bynoe.  In his absence, Chairman Bernard is exercising extreme caution since there was no indication from the president when they were appointed, whether evidence could be heard by a quorum consisting of less than the five members. The other members of the commission are Keith Sirju, Marie Ange Knights and Victor Hart.