Secretary to the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the MV Barima tragedy Javed Shadick was today unable to say whether Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar will be called to testify when the Commission begins its formal work next week Wednesday. 

Shadick met with members of the media at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, where the COI’s secretariat is located, and was asked by Kiskadee Watch whether the two ministers, whose portfolios include responsibility for areas connected to maritime infrastructure and public works, would be among those summoned to give evidence before the Commission.

He said that he could not say at this stage whether Indar and Edghill would be called to testify. The two ministers have come under intense pressure to resign over the catastrophe.

The Commission is expected to officially begin taking evidence next Wednesday as it moves into the substantive phase of its inquiry into the MV Barima disaster.

The vessel capsized off Guyana’s coast in August, resulting in the deaths of dozens of people and leaving 76 survivors. The COI is expected to unravel details about the vessel’s condition, regulatory oversight, passenger safety and the circumstances surrounding its operation.

The Commission is further tasked with examining the circumstances surrounding the disaster and determining what factors contributed to the loss of life.

The Commission’s proceedings are expected to provide an opportunity for witnesses and other relevant parties to present information about the circumstances before, during and after the tragedy.

The inquiry comes in the face of public concern from relatives of victims, survivors, civil society groups and opposition figures over accountability for the disaster.

The government has previously announced that the inquiry would be conducted by an international commission, with the aim of establishing the facts surrounding the tragedy and making recommendations to prevent a recurrence.