Three witnesses are expected to take the stand on Friday for the commencement of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the March 2020 General and Regional Elections.
This was confirmed by the commission’s Secretary Javed Shadick. He noted that based on interests expressed, the commission will see statements from at least 20 persons for the first two weeks of the inquiry.
While reluctant to provide details on the witnesses, Shadick said each witness will have in excess of four hours to present their evidence. The Secretary was also reluctant to state whether there will be testimonials from members of the previous administration. He noted that a number of key players were sent invitations to be part of the commission.
“There are persons who had a part to play in the election. There were Observers, Presiding Officers, GECOM officials, there is the press, we were all there. There are persons from each one of those categories who are willing to come forward. We have about 15 people who have stepped forward so far.” the Secretary said.
Meanwhile, several key figures took the social media claiming that they were served a summons to be part of the inquiry. Shadick however addressed those claims, stating that no one was subpoenaed to be part of the inquiry.
“It is just an invitation. And we sent out invitations to a lot of people… As the commission goes on, those things will be developed, and as the Chairman said we are trying to be impartial and fair and we are seeking the truth of what happened,” Shadick said.
The Secretary posited that security remains a high priority during hearings. He noted that protocols have been put in place for any worst-case scenario that may arise.
