The Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the MV Barima tragedy on Thursday inspected facilities at the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) Goods Wharf in Kingston, Georgetown, as it continued gathering evidence into the circumstances surrounding the vessel’s sinking.
The five commissioners toured the bond and passenger areas of the wharf and inspected the MV Ma Lisha, which was docked at the port.
“We’re just working and gathering evidence,” Chairman Justice Godfrey Phillip Smith told reporters, declining to elaborate on the Commission’s observations.
Secretary to the Commission, attorney-at-law Javed Shadick, said the inspection was requested by commissioners with maritime expertise as part of their work under the inquiry’s terms of reference.
He explained, “Mr. Fouda, and Mr. Jasionowski, they’re all persons who are in the maritime area, so they are the ones who would have wanted to do the inspection.
Led by T&HD General Manager Yolanda Hughes, the commissioners toured the facilities before proceeding to the department’s head office and the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD).
Shadick said the inquiry’s mandate includes making recommendations based on its findings but stressed that it was too early to comment on possible conclusions.
The site inspections by members of the CoI will continue today, Friday, October 9, with visits to two dry-dock facilities on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).
Thursday’s inspection followed Wednesday’s opening ceremony at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), where the commissioners met survivors and relatives of those affected by the disaster.
Justice Smith acknowledged the families’ need for answers, while cautioning that not every question might be resolved.
“We cannot promise that every question you may have will have an answer. But we will endeavour to find those answers,” he said.
He said the inquiry would examine the circumstances surrounding the sinking, including whether warning signs were missed, safety regulations were followed and existing safeguards were adequate.
The chairman stressed that the Commission would proceed without predetermined conclusions, guided by the law, procedural fairness and credible evidence.
He also clarified that the inquiry is not a criminal court but is intended to establish the facts, identify contributing factors and recommend measures to prevent similar disasters.
More than 100 potential witnesses have been identified, including a survivor, relatives of victims, first responders and officials.
Formal evidence-taking is scheduled to begin on October 14 at the ACCC. The inquiry, initially expected to last two months, could take approximately six months because of the volume of evidence.
The 87-year-old MV Barima capsized on July 18 while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, claiming 73 lives. Seventy-six people survived, while approximately 30 remain unaccounted for.
BK International has been selected to salvage the wreck after submitting the lowest bid of approximately $1.034 billion.
The CoI has stressed that the recovery must preserve evidence relevant to its investigation.
