Sir David Simmons, chairman of the commission of enquiry into the July 1990 uprising in Trinidad, wrapping up this year's hearings yesterday, emphasised the need for the commission to be independent in the discharge of its responsibilities."The commission is expected to be independent in the discharge of its responsibilities and that implies that we do not shift or bend to little gusts of wind of whatever kind," Simmons said shortly after the last hearing for the year at the Caribbean Court of Justice on Henry Street, Port-of-Spain.
He further noted that, thus far in the enquiry, the public seems pleased with the commission's work."From time to time it has not escaped our attention that the public goes out of its way to say complimentary things about the commission."All the feedback we have been getting through the press and one or two call-in programmes have been positive."Noting that opinions have been expressed whether an enquiry into the attempted coup should have been established or not, the chairman said the commission's work, notwithstanding, seems to have received public acclamation thus far.
Recalling that the enquiry started on January 24 this year, he summed it up this way, "It has been a long and productive year. We have a little way to go to complete the enquiry."Simmons said the commission has collected a "mass amount of evidence" from witnesses who testified during the course of the year."We have been getting so much evidence. We have been writing up reports to fill in the skeleton before we write up the final report."
