The commission of inquiry into allegations of wrongdoing against Grenada's Prime Minister Keith Mitchell has ended its oral hearings. It seems likely to exonerate Dr Mitchell though the government could be rapped on the knuckles over its financial rules. The commission was set up after allegations were made in a Miami-based financial newsletter in April 2004 that Dr Mitchell received improper payments from a former trade counsellor, German-born businessman Eric Resteiner, during an overseas trip in June 2000. The Prime Minister has always denied the allegations, insisting that any funds received were through legitimate sponsorship by Mr Resteiner of a trade mission to Europe and Kuwait. The sole commissioner, Barbadian Queen's Counsel Sir Richard Cheltenham, sprung a surprise when he concluded the open phase of the commission on his resumption on Tuesday. He said he intended to submit his final recommendations to the Governor General before the end of September. 'Damaging hearsay' One of main allegations made in the report in Offshore Alert by the editor, David Marchant, was that an aide to Mr Resteiner, Timothy Bass, videotaped the transaction but that has never been produced. Sir Richard said he ended the oral hearings by not calling Mr Marchant. "Neither Bass nor Resteiner was available as witnesses and to that extent it would have been wholly wrong to have him (Mr. Marchant) repeat those damaging allegations based on hearsay," Sir Richard told BBC Caribbean. He said there was not a shred of evidence produced incriminating the prime minister. But he indicated that there were flaws in government procedures that allowed a private person to fund the expenses of the Prime Minister on a government trip "without proper due diligence". The leader of the opposition in Grenada, who was waging a legal battle to be represented at the inquiry, said he was surprised at Tuesday's events. He believes not enough was done to present a case against the Prime Minister. "The legal department in Grenada did not contact the competent authority in the United States to get the video." Mr. Thomas also said he would consult his lawyers on his next move. Reprinted from bbccaribbean.com