[www.inewsguyana.com] – The brother of Dr Walter Rodney, who was with Rodney when he was killed in an explosion three and a half decades ago, has begun testimony before the Commission of Inquiry (COI) which has been set up to get to the bottom of the case.
In his testimony, he bore credence to previous testimony that Dr Rodney was killed by the PNC government of the day under Prime Minister Forbes Burnham.
At the time of Dr Rodney’s death, Donald Rodney was not a member of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), the Party Dr Rodney co-founded and defied the Burnham administration.
Donald Rodney said that it was after Father Bernard Darke was killed and later when he heard a poignant speech from then Prime Minister Forbes Burnham that he decided to offer help to Dr Rodney.
He referred to a speech he heard on radio, in which Burnham said that the WPA had better “make their wills.”
“We are a party of peace, but we are not pacifists and literally and metaphorically we promise to match steel with steel, fire with fire,” he quoted Burnham as saying.
After that speech, Donald Rodney said he stepped forward to help Dr Rodney’s cause in “confronting the dictatorship.”
“I approached Walter and I did ask what I can do to assist in this struggle against the dictatorship.”
Given threats to the WPA and particularly to Dr Rodney, Donald Rodney said someone needed to look after the “back” of the WPA leadership.
In one instance after he offered help, Donald Rodney said Dr Rodney asked him for his passport so that he, Dr Rodney, could use it to travel. Sometime later, he said that Dr Rodney returned his passport. Dr Rodney said he had not used the passport because he didn’t want Donald Rodney “to get into trouble.”
Donald Rodney, who lives overseas, was flown in to give testimony. He was in the car with Dr Rodney on June 13, 1980 when it exploded outside the Camp Street Prison. The explosion came from a walkie talkie that Donald Rodney was handed by then Army Officer Gregory Smith.
Donald Rodney said he was asked by his brother to make arrangements to collect the walkie talkie from Smith. Dr Rodney had contacted Smith to construct the walkie talkie.
Donald had his first look at the walkie talkie two weeks before the explosion of June 13, 1980. An arrangement was made for them to meet up. Donald Rodney drove his car with Dr Rodney inside to meet Smith.
“What I collected was in fact something I may not recognize immediately as a walkie talie, but that’s what I was told it was because it was electronic circuit set to a plywood bas…and it was partly boxed around.”
He said he received instructions from Smith about how the device would function. He said part of the circuit had a small knob and Donald Rodney was told it needed to be turned to a set position.
Smith would have another unit which would remain in his possession, one that Donald Rodney had not actually seen but assumed that Smith had.
The circuit Donald Rodney said he had also had a flash bulb and if that bulb flashed when Smith activated it, the two units would be synchronized.
Donald Rodney was told to go a certain distance away so the sets could be activated. Donald Rodney said he then drove to Sussex Street and waited for the appointed time when the bulb would flash.
“The flash did not go off at the appointed time but soon after,” Donald Rodney said, and so he assumed the synchronization had taken place and went back to the original spot and returned the equipment to Smith.
Two weeks later when the completed walkie talkie was to be handed over, it exploded, killing Dr Rodney. Donald Rodney was injured and fled the scene.
