More than 100 witnesses are expected to appear before the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the MV Barima tragedy when formal evidence-taking begins on October 14.
Secretary to the Commission, attorney-at-law Javed Shadick, made the disclosure on Tuesday at a press conference ahead of the first sitting at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
Shadick said the potential witnesses have been divided into broad categories based on their connection to the tragedy.
“So far on the ToRs (Terms of Reference), we have divided types of witnesses,” he said.
“We are looking at persons who would have been first responders, officials, and survivours, and families of those who would have perished,” he explained.
While the Commission has identified more than 100 potential witnesses, Shadick said it is not yet possible to say how many persons will fall into each category.
Counsel for the Commission, attorneys Arudranauth Gossai and Teni Housty, have already been working to identify and interview potential witnesses and gather relevant documentation.
Asked whether Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar would be called to testify, Shadick said he could not say at this stage whether either minister would be among those summoned.
The Commissioners are also reviewing documents and technical information relating to the vessel’s seaworthiness, the circumstances under which it sailed and the operation of the crew during the voyage.
Preliminary work includes obtaining information from the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) and the Coast Guard.
The formal evidence-gathering process will begin on October 14 and is expected to continue Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Interpreters and counsellors are also expected to be available where necessary.
The Commission will examine the circumstances surrounding the capsizing and sinking of the MV Barima, including the events leading up to the disaster, the vessel’s seaworthiness, crew operations, safety procedures and the response following the incident.
It will also consider whether negligence, misconduct, dereliction of duty, systemic deficiencies or institutional failures contributed to the disaster.
