HGP Nightly News – With just 29 days remaining before its stated reporting deadline, the Commission of Inquiry into the MV Barima disaster has yet to set a date for public hearings, identify witnesses or disclose any substantive investigative milestone, according to Forward Guyana Movement Leader Amanza Walton.
Walton is questioning the pace of the inquiry, noting that 33 of the 62 days originally available to the commission have already passed since commissioners were sworn in on July 30.
She pointed to the 2020 General and Regional Elections Commission of Inquiry as a contrasting example, noting that public hearings began within 51 days of its constitution.
Walton is now calling for the Barima Commission to immediately announce its first hearing date, issue a public call for witnesses and disclose whether any interim safety recommendations have been made.
She also wants the government to clarify whether a separate marine safety investigation into the disaster has been launched and, if so, identify the legal basis and investigator responsible.
Walton argues that the investigation should not wait for criminal proceedings or the recovery of the vessel, warning that any safety defects linked to the tragedy could still exist elsewhere in Guyana’s ferry system.
The MV Barima disaster was Guyana’s deadliest maritime disaster, and the commission’s establishing instrument requires its report within two months unless the President directs otherwise.
On the current timetable, the stated deadline falls on September 30.
