GLENDAIRY PRISON'S Acting Chief Officer, Everton Carrington, spent a second day giving testimony, and his lawyer, Vincent Watson, also, addressed a Commission of Inquiry regarding 17 allegations of misconduct brought against the warder.

Carrington, who was fourth in command at the Station Hill facility when rioting prisoners set it alight, not only attempted to clear his name, but denied his actions led to the riot.

Watson, in a two-hour address, said his client in no way intended to mislead the commission, even though some of the evidence was contradictory.

More than 70 witnesses have testified since the Inquiry started in March, and over 12 000 pages of transcripts have emerged from 58 days of testimony.

The commission is led by chairman, Sir Lisle Austin Ward, a retired Chief Justice of Bermuda, and also includes retired High Court judge Elliot Belgrave, and retired Anglican priest Canon Andrew Hatch.

CASTIGATED in previous testimony by inmates and contradicted by work-mates, Glendairy Prisons' third-in-command yesterday denied it was his actions which primarily led to a riot and fire at the Station Hill facility two years ago.

In the hot seat for a second consecutive day, Glendairy's Acting Assistant Chief Officer, Everton Carrington, also denied lying to a Commission of Inquiry and changing his testimony whilst answering 17 charges of alleged misconduct.

His comments came after one of the commissioners, Elliott Belgrave, asserted his hosting of a meeting which led to chaos and the eventual riot, was the reason why a Commission of Inquiry had to be convened in the first place.

"I am not responsible," Carrington responded.

Carrington, who was Glendairy's building manager on March 29, 2005, the first day of the riot, also came in for intense questioning from commission attorney Orville Durant.

"You are the reason we are here, aren't you?" Durant asked. "No, I'm not. I don't agree with that," Carrington replied.

Regarding his "contradictory" evidence, Carrington again denied lying to the commission in testimony given earlier this year.

On Monday, Carrington had denied that inmate Adrian Jones was in his office when he sent for ten young inmates to hear a complaint.

But yesterday, Durant produced a copy of a question and answer report Carrington signed for the Superintendent of Prisons, Lieutenant-Colonel John Nurse, in which he (Carrington) said Jones was in his office before the young inmates arrived.

"I was under duress," Carrington said regarding his response to the superintendent's question, after being asked why he signed the document if it was not accurate. "I'm under duress now," he told the commission.

"I would not say I made a false statement to the commission," he said when asked by Durant if he was lying under oath, or had done so previously. "I'm not an untruthful witness," he concluded.

According to Carrington, the superintendent was kind of pushy during the question and answer session, which lasted almost 45 minutes on April 2, a few days after the riot.

"I did read it afterwards and signed it, but it all seemed a bit hasty. It was not friendly, but I wouldn't say it was hostile," Carrington said in response to another question from Durant.

Under re-examination by his attorney Vincent Watson, Carrington said he felt uneasy while meeting with Lieutenant-Colonel Nurse, as the chief had said in a high tone that he wanted answers to all his questions.

"I had to answer them there and then."

Carrington then revised his answer, again denying Jones was in the office when the youth were summoned, claiming that he had the young offenders in his office to hear a complaint, the phone rang, and after answering it he heard a commotion, looking up to see Jones fighting with a number of the youths.

He again denied seeing when Jones entered his office, as he had testified the day before.