Survivors of the MV Barima tragedy and relatives of those who died are expected to be the next witnesses when the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) resumes public hearings on Tuesday, November 10.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, provided the update on Tuesday’s edition of Issues in the News.
Minister Nandlall said the hearings are expected to continue into December. Personnel from the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) and the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) are also expected to testify.
The commission paused oral hearings on October 22. Its chair, Belizean Justice Godfrey Phillip Smith, said the secretariat would use the break to visit survivors in their communities and take statements where they may feel more comfortable.
Justice Smith stressed that the pause “does not mean that the work of the commission comes to a standstill.”
Over seven days of hearings at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), the commission heard from 33 witnesses, including first responders from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard and Air Corps, as well as officials from MARAD and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
The testimony was accompanied by a large volume of documents, which the commissioners are now reviewing.
The commission was sworn in on July 30, 2026. The other members are Polish physician Dr Andrzej Jasionowski, Jamaican Captain Hamada Fouda, Trinidad and Tobago attorney Nyree Dawn Alfonso, and Trinidad and Tobago Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Hayden Pritchard.
The commission’s terms of reference include determining the cause of the incident, examining whether maritime laws and regulations were followed, and assessing the search and rescue operation. At the conclusion of its work, the commission will submit its findings, observations and recommendations to the president.
The MV Barima capsized on July 18 while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma.
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali also set up the HEART Initiative to support survivors and affected families. It provides humanitarian assistance, psychosocial and trauma counselling, social services and spiritual guidance.