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Alfonso apologises for controversial witness at Paria CoE

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Attorney Nyree Alfonso. PHOTO BY SUREASH CHOLAI –

NYREE ALFONSO, SWWTU counsel at the Commission of Enquiry (CoE) into the Paria diving tragedy, on Wednesday apologised for having attributed to a trade union the appearance of a controversial witness at the CoE on Monday and Tuesday.

Dive school owner Glenn Cheddie had been grilled in cross examination by Prakash Ramadhar, counsel for bereaved families on Monday and then by Paria counsel Gilbert Peterson on Tuesday. After inconsistencies were found, his evidence was ultimately disallowed.

Peterson established that Cheddie was not an attorney which had been initially suggested under cross examination by Ramadhar.

Alfonso said, “It was my error when I indicated that Dr Cheddie had been introduced to me by the OWTU or some of their membership.

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“It’s a separate person. I’ve spoken to a lot of people in the last couple of months, so that is my error and I apologise, if anybody was offended by that or took issue with that.”

Alfonso added, “He was also not recommended by my own client which is the SWWTU.

“The chairman is correct. I have been in practice long enough to see many a witness fall apart, (although) not perhaps in such a spectacular fashion, (but) certainly in other ways.” She thanked others present including fellow attorneys and Lynch for their “indulgences and kindnesses.”