A procedural hearing has to done before the Commission of Enquiry into the Paria Fuel diving tragedy can begin hearing evidence from witnesses.
This was explained by the commission’s attorney Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, SC, when contacted by Guardian Media on Wednesday.
“All the administrative measures which have to be put in place for the Commission to have a procedural hearing, at which the witnesses to give evidence would be identified, are being done,” Maharaj said.
He said within the next week, the commission’s secretary will issue a release giving an update on this matter.
The commission, chaired by Queen’s Counsel Justice Dennis Morrison, was launched last month to investigate the Paria tragedy on February 25, in which five divers got trapped in a pipeline owned by Paria Feul in Pointe-a-Pierre.
Fyzal Kurban, Rishi Nagassar, Yusuf Henry and Kazim Ali Jr died, while Christopher Boodram survived.
Since then, the families have sought legal counsel and have accused Paria of not trying to rescue the divers.
Meanwhile, attorney Prakash Ramadhar, who is representing the families of Henry and Kurban, sent pre-action letters to Paria and LMCS last month. He had given them 20 days to respond before he filed the action.
Ramadhar said Paria, through their lawyers, have asked for an extension of time to respond, which they have granted.
In an telephone interview yesterday, Nagassar’s widow Vanessa Kussie broke down in tears, noting she is still awaiting closure. She said she is struggling not only emotionally but financially.
“The company has not even called to give us assistance with anything. We feeling so left out. We in the dark. It very hard for life to go on. My husband was the breadwinner of the family. It very hard. Family have to keep helping us and the ones responsible, they not reaching out,” she lamented.
She said her children miss Nagassar.
“We need assistance every month, at least give us something, we not asking for thousands of dollars, but we need an income,” she said.
As for the inquiry, she said no one is giving them any information.
Henry’s sister Afeisha said they too have heard nothing about the inquiry.
However, she said her brother’s death and the way the matter is being handled has taken a toll on their mother’s health.
She said, “It’s just how things are going super slow, nothing is happening. What we try to do is keep in contact with the other families and we try to gather on the 25th of every month, keeping a peaceful vigil. Mother has been sick. She is not working much, she is not talking much.”
She said her mother on Tuesday had her first counselling session, which she (Afeisha) paid for.
