The government of Trinidad and Tobago have announced that they will be launching a Commission of Inquiry to probe the recent deaths of four divers who died while working underwater on a crude oil pipeline.
The announcement came from Trinidad’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley during the “Conversations with the Prime Minister” show, just hours after Energy and Energy Industries Minister Stuart Young revealed that a member of a five-member investigative committee which was placed on the matter had stepped down.
Dr. Rowley said, “I have today instructed the Minister of Energy, on behalf of the Cabinet, to cancel the arrangement that was made public and therefore there would be no five-man committee of the experts that were made public.”
He added, “Because even before they had done the job, the population had been so riled up into not accepting any work that they have done, that it is a waste of time now.”
Prime Minister Rowley explained that the investigative committee had been tasked with determining the liability and what happened that led to the deaths of divers Yusuf Henry, Kazim Ali Jr, Fyzal Kurban and Rishi Nagessar on February 25, 2022.
“We have to cancel that and we are going to have a Commission of Enquiry because apparently, that is what would satisfy,” he said.
Eugene Tiah is the name of the person who had stepped from the committee following what he termed to be personal, unwarranted and unjustified attacks by persons and entities.
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar was blamed by Minister Young and Dr Rowley for the chain of attacks which they believe led to Tiah stepping down and the collapse of the investigative committee.
Rowley blamed the opposition party for its attack on Tiah as the reason behind the collapse of the investigative committee, telling the programme he would have to look for people from Mars just to satisfy the opposition on the matter.