The Commission of Enquiry (CoE) into the Paria diving tragedy is set to hold a virtual news conference at 10 am on September 6th.
This is aimed at answering questions arising out of its recent request for an extension of time to submit its final report on last February’s deadly accident at Paria Fuel Trading Co Ltd.
The CoE was originally due to submit its final report to the President in May. But in a statement on May 5, the commission said it had written to President Christine Kangaloo to seek an extension until August 31.
It has now asked the President for an extension until November 30th.
Commission chairman Jerome Lynch, KC, said in a letter dated August 28th that the commission could not meet the August 31st deadline “as there have been a number of new decisions dealing with the importance of the proper procedure to be adopted in CoEs.”
On February 25, 2022, divers Rishi Nagassar, Kazim Ali Jr, Fyzal Kurban, Yusuf Henry and Christopher Boodram were doing maintenance work on a 30-inch underwater pipeline belonging to Paria when they were sucked into the pipeline. Boodram was the only survivor.
Boodram, along with Nagessar’s widow Vanessa Kussie and Henry’s mother, Nicole Greenidge have expressed their frustration about the delay in the report’s submission.