Regional experts to lead inquiry into deadly MV Barima sinking
Key Points(5)
- A five-member Commission of Inquiry into the MV Barima tragedy in Guyana will be led by Belizean Justice Godfrey Phillip Smith and will include regional and international experts in maritime operations, law and marine investigations.
- The commission was announced by Guyanese President Dr.
- Irfaan Ali on Sunday as the country seeks answers following the sinking of the MV Barima, one of the deadliest maritime disasters in Guyana’s history.
- The other members of the commission are Captain Hamada Fouda, Nyree Dawn Alfonso, Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Hayden Pritchard and Dr.
- Justice Smith currently serves as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) High-Level Representative on Law and Criminal Justice and is an ad hoc Justice of Appeal in the Eastern Caribbean.
A five-member Commission of Inquiry into the MV Barima tragedy in Guyana will be led by Belizean Justice Godfrey Phillip Smith and will include regional and international experts in maritime operations, law and marine investigations.
The commission was announced by Guyanese President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Sunday as the country seeks answers following the sinking of the MV Barima, one of the deadliest maritime disasters in Guyana’s history.
The other members of the commission are Captain Hamada Fouda, Nyree Dawn Alfonso, Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Hayden Pritchard and Dr. Andrzej Jasionowski.
Justice Smith currently serves as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) High-Level Representative on Law and Criminal Justice and is an ad hoc Justice of Appeal in the Eastern Caribbean. He previously served on Guyana’s Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the 2020 General and Regional Elections.
Captain Fouda is a senior maritime surveyor and compliance auditor with the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, while Alfonso, a Trinidad and Tobago attorney, specializes in admiralty and maritime law.
Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Pritchard, a former Chief of Defence Staff of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, brings decades of experience in security and maritime operations. Dr. Jasionowski, a Polish forensic naval architect and marine engineer, has advised on investigations into several major maritime incidents.
President Ali said the commission’s terms of reference will include determining the circumstances surrounding the disaster, including the causes and factors related to the loading of the vessel, boarding of passengers, onboard conditions, and the capsizing and sinking of the MV Barima.
“The terms of reference of the Commission of Inquiry will be establishing the full circumstances surrounding the tragedy, including the causes and all other factors relating to the loading of the vessel, the boarding of passengers, conditions onboard, the capsizing and sinking of the MV Barima and any other related matters,” Ali said.
The inquiry will also examine the effectiveness of search, rescue and recovery efforts, whether ferry regulations and safety standards were followed, and whether negligence, misconduct, dereliction of duty or institutional failures contributed to the disaster.
Investigators will assess the vessel’s seaworthiness, maintenance history and the competence of its crew as part of the review.
At the conclusion of the inquiry, the commission is expected to provide recommendations on legislative, regulatory, institutional and operational reforms aimed at strengthening maritime safety, improving emergency response systems and preventing future tragedies.
The investigation comes after the MV Barima sank in Guyanese waters, claiming dozens of lives and sparking demands for an independent examination into the circumstances surrounding the disaster.
