Barima CoI, financial relief still in planning stages

What this source establishes

CoI had held no hearings ten days after swearing-in. Ten days after being sworn in, the Commission of Inquiry had not begun hearing anyone. Chairman Justice Godfrey Smith: "We are still in preparatory stages, meetings…for now we are still organising ourselves."

Key claims

• **Ten days after being sworn in, the Commission of Inquiry had not begun hearing anyone.** Chairman **Justice Godfrey Smith**: **"We are still in preparatory stages, meetings…for now we are still organising ourselves."**
• **Eamon Courtenay SC**, tasked with financial relief: **"We are currently working out the procedures and modalities to assess and process claims. We expect to make the details public shortly."** No scheme, no sums, no eligibility rule had been published.
• Secretary **Javed Shadick** said notice of panel sittings "would be advertisements sent out to all the newspapers".
• **[GAP] No hearing date and no confirmation of the report deadline appear in this report.** The terms of reference recorded on 3–4 August set the report at two months. What the clock runs from has not been stated publicly.
• Set against the state's own position that the inquiry is the reason to wait — the President said on 8 August "let the CoI work" — the inquiry on 9 August was still organising itself.

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