The commission's public hearings commenced on 16 January 2006. During the first six weeks of public hearings evidence led by Agius and cross examination by him of witnesses brought out a series of revelations that showed the conduct of AWB Limited's executives and directors in a very poor light. Apart from interrupting assisting counsel's question to ask witnesses his own probing questions, Cole frequently made reproving comments about the behaviour and evidence of witnesses particularly those in responsible and often highly remunerative positions with AWB Limited and the Wheat Export Authority, who among other things frequently claimed memory loss, inability to locate diaries and notes and notoriously, in the case of former AWB Limited board chairman Trevor Flugge, hearing loss.