When Does the Commission of Inquiry Begin?

Andrew Marshalleck

A new commission has been sworn-in to investigate the fire sale of government assets prior to the last general elections.  The ceremony took place on Monday here in Belize City but a schedule for when the hearings commence and how long the inquiry will take is yet to be determined.  There are several logistical considerations to be made and, according to Chairman Andrew Marshalleck, a list of witnesses needs to be established prior to the start of the process.

Andrew Marshalleck, Chair, Commission of Inquiry

“It is difficult to set a time limit because you don’t know what you will find, but whatever we find we have to get to the bottom of it.  We will certainly start the process quickly and endeavor to do it within a reasonable time.  We understand that commissions in Belize the experience has always been that it takes years.  We don’t expect that at this point in time.  Apart from the logistical concerns of arranging venue and streaming and the like, it’s just a matter of the commission meeting and settling the first list of witnesses, issuing and serving the summonses and getting started.”