–More than 100 witnesses expected

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the MV Barima tragedy will meet survivors and relatives of those who died in Georgetown, Mabaruma and Port Kaituma, before it begins taking evidence at its first sitting next Wednesday.

Secretary to the Commission, Javed Shadick outlined the schedule at a press conference on Tuesday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

He told reporters that the community meetings are outreach sessions and that formal testimony will be heard only when the Commission sits.

“At these meetings, there is no evidence to be taken,” he said.

The Commission opens formally at 10:00 on Wednesday (October 7). In the afternoon, Commissioners will meet families and survivors living on the coast.

On Thursday from around 09:00, the Commissioners will tour the Kingston wharf, the Maritime Administrative Department (MARAD) and the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD).

They will also visit two dry-dock facilities on the East Bank of Demerara on Friday.

On Monday, they travel to Mabaruma to view the waterfront facility and meet families and survivors from surrounding communities. The same programme follows at Port Kaituma on Tuesday.

The secretary noted that several Commissioners are shipping experts.

He said the site visits will allow them to see conditions, and the relevant parties will later be called before the Commission.

Counsel for the Commission will interview persons believed to know about the events. Witnesses fall broadly into first responders, officials, survivors, and families of the deceased.

“Our initial count, we’re looking at more than 100 witnesses,” the Secretary said.

A public notice inviting interested persons to testify remains open.

The Commission is also considering hearings outside Georgetown, including in Region One.

The secretary said turnout at this week’s family meetings will guide that decision. He added that arrangements are being made to assist persons who do not speak English.

The Commission’s original two-month timeframe will be extended. The final report will be prepared once all evidence is heard, with an initial estimate of about six months.

The Commission’s secretariat has been operating since August 3. Documents have already been submitted and are being reviewed by the Commissioners.

Hearings will begin at 09:00 daily, though the Secretary said times may be adjusted.

The CoI was established under Section 2(1) of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, Chapter 19:03, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the capsizing and sinking of the MV Barima, owned and operated by the Transport and Harbours Department, on the night of July 18, 2026.

The commission is expected to submit its findings, observations and recommendations to President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali upon completion of its work.

The five-member commission is chaired by Justice Godfrey Phillip Smith of Belize, CARICOM High-Level Representative for Law and Criminal Justice and an Ad Hoc Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal.

The other members are: Dr Andrzej Jasionowski of Poland, a Naval Architect and Marine Engineer who has advised on investigations into several major maritime disasters; Captain Hamada Fouda, Senior Maritime Surveyor and Compliance Auditor with the Maritime Authority of Jamaica; Nyree Dawn Alfonso of Trinidad and Tobago, an Attorney-at-Law with expertise in Admiralty and Maritime Law; and Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Hayden Pritchard of Trinidad and Tobago, a maritime professional with decades of experience in maritime operations and maritime security.

The government has maintained that it has nothing to hide and has met with families of the deceased and survivors throughout and after the ordeal.

The families and survivors of the MV Barima tragedy were offered counselling and other services by the Ministries of Health and Human Services and Social Security.

They were assisted in burying their loved ones with the support of the government. No one was offered a financial settlement. From the start of the tragedy,

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali said that he was saddened by the incident. He flew to the region to meet with families as search and rescue operations were underway.

Shortly after, President Ali announced the COI and said it had been given a broad mandate to examine every relevant aspect of the disaster.

It will also determine the facts surrounding the sinking and identify its causes and contributing factors. The COI will assess compliance with maritime laws and operational standards and review the effectiveness of the search, among other areas.

“The families who have suffered unimaginable loss await these answers. Future generations deserve the assurance that every lesson that can be learned from this tragedy will indeed be learned,” President Ali said.

Emphasising the commission’s independence, the president has said its composition reflects the highest standards of professionalism and impartiality.

He noted that the commissioners collectively possess internationally recognised expertise in law, marine engineering, maritime operations, maritime regulation and disaster investigations, adding that their experience will enhance the credibility and thoroughness of the inquiry.

He also assured the commissioners that the government will provide all administrative, technical, financial and logistical support required to enable a comprehensive and independent investigation.

President Ali expressed confidence that the commission will execute its mandate with diligence, integrity and fairness, while providing the answers the nation seeks following one of Guyana’s worst maritime tragedies.

The CoI was established under Section 2(1) of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, Chapter 19:03, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the capsizing and sinking of the MV Barima, owned and operated by the Transport and Harbours Department, on the night of July 18, 2026.

The commission is expected to submit its findings, observations, and recommendations to President Ali upon completion of its work. Of the estimated 179 passengers and crew who were aboard the MV Barima, 72 bodies were recovered, 30 could not be accounted for, and 76 were rescued.