Opposition Leader, Tillman Thomas has failed in his efforts to have official status in the infamous briefcase inquiry involving Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell.

His request was turned down on Monday after lone Commissioner Richard Cheltenham ruled that the Opposition had no evidence or witnesses to assist the Commission.

After approximately three years since the Inquiry was adjourned, it resumed on Tuesday at the Grenada Trade Centre at which the last two witnesses being called to give oral testimonies.

At the start of hearing, attorney-at-law, Ruggles Ferguson, one of the Legal representative for the Opposition Leader, addressed the Commissioner requesting that one week be set aside next week for the Opposition to make their submission.

Ferguson told the Commission that his colleague, QC Elliot Mottley from Barbados who is also representing Thomas was unaware that the Commission had resumed hearings since they are awaiting the decision from the next Sitting of the Court of Appeal on September 17 to deliberate on Thomas' application for full participation in the Inquiry.

He said that Mottley who is presently in Toronto indicated that he would be available from next week Monday to make submissions.

Counsel for Dr. Mitchell, former Trinidad and Tobago Attorney-General, Ramesh Maharaj told the Commission that the application of the Opposition Leader should not be used to frustrate the proceeding and that in the public's interest the inquiry should continue.

Dr. Cheltenham agreed with Maharaj that it is not in the public's interest to delay or frustrate the life of the Commission.

The hearing was suspended for ten minutes before Cheltenham made his final decision to proceed with the inquiry without the input of counsel for the Opposition Leader.

Thomas did not agree with the ruling and expressed grave reservation about the direction taken by Dr. Cheltenham.

He said:"I find the Commission has taken a direction not really to get to the truth of the matter but it seems that they just want to get a report prepared to bring an end to the Commission,"I believe that we have a matter pending before the Court. Of course the Commissioner could use his discretion but I really believe that it is for the public's interest that the people that come before the inquiry should be cross-examined by someone who really represents the people of Grenada, nobody really cross-examined anyone seriously", he added.

According to Thomas, the Political Leader of the main opposition, National Democratic Congress (NDC), the two key people who can bring out the truth in this matter are fraudster, Eric Resteiner and his former Chief of Security, Timothy Bass.

Thomas pointed out that the opposition will have to look at other legal options to deal with the issue.

He said that Grenadians who are concerned about the proper administration of justice, respect for public institutions and transparency in public life have to look at other options available to them in order to bring full closure to the Briefcase inquiry.

Like Thomas, former revolutionary activist, Vincent Roberts a former head of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) expressed grave concerns with the turn of events in the inquiry.

Roberts told GRENADA TODAY that he is totally disappointed with the level of investigative work that was done by newly promoted Superintendent of Police, Michael Francois in the matter.

He charged that Marlon Joseph, a former employee of the Grenada International Financial Services Authority (GIFSA) was one of the persons being sought to give evidence in the Inquiry and was in Grenada and could have been interviewed.

He also pointed to what he regarded as a major discrepancy in the findings of the Commissioner.

Roberts said that the Prime minister admitted publicly that he received"approximately US$15,000.00" from Resteiner but that all of the witnesses who testified indicated that Dr. Mitchell did not receive any money on the trip.

"The witnesses are either lying or the Prime Minister is lying. I choose to believe that the Prime Minister did receive the money (but) my question is the truthfulness of the amount received," he added.

Prime Minister Mitchell had told Grenadians in a national broadcast that he had travelled from Grenada to Paris using his credit cards to finance the trip for his delegation including himself in keeping with a Cabinet conclusion.

He also said that the expenses were expected to be reimbursed, in accordance with the offer made by Trade Counsellor, Eric Resteiner"to finance the expenses of the investment promotional trip".

Dr. Mitchell remarked that what he actually did was perfectly legal, moral and above board, since there was nothing irregular, immoral or clandestine about it, contrary to what the political opposition in Grenada would want people to believe.

Under the terms of the Commission, Cheltenham was expected to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the appointment of Resteiner as a Grenadian diplomat, as well as the allegations.

The Commissioner was also expected to look into procedures for the reimbursement of funds for expenses incurred by government members on official travel.

Guyanese lawyer Fenton Ramsahoye who is based in Barbados was appointed special legal counsel to the Commission.