THE first procedural hearing of the Commission of Enquiry into the Paria diving tragedy takes place in Port of Spain on September 7 and 8, at Tower D of the Port of Spain International Waterfront Centre.

The hearing, which is open to members of the public and the media, will start at 10.30 am on both days.

The information was provided in a release issued by the CoE's secretariat on August 19.

It was first announced at a news conference at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA) in San Fernando on July 7 that the commission will hold its procedural hearing on September 7 in Port of Spain.

The date for the start of the public hearings will be announced later.

At that conference, CoE chairman Queen's Counsel Jerome Lynch said no stone will be left unturned in the quest to find out how Kazim Jeremiah Ali, Yusuf Henry, Fyzal Kurban and Rishi Nagassar died on February 25.

Ali, Henry, Kurban and Nagassar were working on a 30-inch-diameter subsea pipeline, belonging to the Paria Trading Company, at Pointe-a-Pierre, when they were sucked into the line.

The commission was appointed on April 22, with Dennis Morrison, QC, as its chairman/commissioner and local subsea specialist Gregory Wilson as a commissioner. Morrison resigned last month for personal reasons. He was replaced by Lynch, who was sworn in by President Paula-Mae Weekes on July 6.

Lynch is a senior litigator at Trott and Duncan in Bermuda, and a QC at Cloisters Chambers in London.

He said the commission has a six-month timeframe from the date of its first public hearing to complete its report.

At the end of the enquiry, the commission will submit its report to the President.

Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, SC, lead counsel to the commission, said the commission did not lapse when Morrison resigned, and has been diligently working since April 22.

Under the Commission of Enquiry Act, the Paria commission has the power to summon witnesses to give evidence under oath. These witnesses can also be cross-examined by attorneys for other parties appearing before the commission.

Maharaj said enquiry witnesses must obey the commission's summonses, which are like subpoenas to witnesses issued by the High Court. Section 12 of the act says anyone who fails to heed a summons from a CoE are liable to a fine of $2,000.

"We do not believe there would be occasions for witnesses who are subpoenaed not to comply with their subpoenas."

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