The Commission of Enquiry set up to investigate the Paria Diving tragedy will now submit its final report on November 30th, after receiving an extension from President Christine Kangaloo.

Chairman Jerome Lynch, meanwhile, has denied any political interference in the decision to delay the report by three months and says the extra time is being used to ensure fairness to all and to prevent any legal action. 

His declaration comes after lawyers from State-owned Paria and Heritage Petroleum Company Ltd sent letters to the commission on Tuesday, in addition to attorneys from Kenson—a service contractor to oil and gas companies— all claiming bias.

“Both suggest they have been unfairly treated and that the commissioners, I suspect primarily me, have displayed an apparent bias and that we should be recused. But, whilst I wholeheartedly reject those allegations, I would have thought that if there was to be an application for recusal on the grounds of apparent bias, it is normal, in the first instance, for that to be made before the tribunal engaged in the process,” said Lynch.

On February 25, 2022, five LMCS divers—Kazim Ali Jnr, 36; Fyzal Kurban, 57; Yusuf Henry, 31; Rishi Nagassar, 48; and Christopher Boodram, 38—were conducting maintenance works on a pipeline owned by Paria when they were sucked into it and four of them died. Boodram is the sole survivor.