HGP Nightly News – Delays in recovering the sunken MV Barima could cause critical mechanical, electronic and forensic evidence to deteriorate before investigators examine it, APNU parliamentarian Ganesh Mahipaul has warned.
Mahipaul criticised MARAD’s decision to seek Expressions of Interest for the salvage operation, arguing that the August 14 submission deadline places the recovery several weeks away.
After submissions close, the government may still need to evaluate companies, negotiate terms, award a contract and allow the selected salvor to mobilise equipment and personnel.
Mahipaul estimated that physical recovery work may not begin until late August or early September.
The government has not announced a start date, making that timeline his projection rather than a confirmed schedule.
Mahipaul said prolonged immersion in salt water, combined with tides and currents, could further damage the vessel’s machinery, electronic systems and other materials relevant to the international Commission of Inquiry.
Every additional day creates a greater risk that evidence will be altered, displaced or lost, he argued.
The commission has been mandated to examine the ferry’s maintenance, seaworthiness, loading, cargo distribution, safety equipment and regulatory oversight.
Access to the wreck could help investigators test competing accounts of its condition and determine whether mechanical, structural or operational failures contributed to the capsizing.
Mahipaul described the public tender process as “cruel, insensitive and entirely unacceptable,” saying it also prolonged the uncertainty of relatives who believe missing passengers may remain trapped inside the vessel.
Authorities reported that 73 bodies were recovered after the July 18 disaster, while at least 30 people remained unaccounted for.
French divers who examined the wreck reported near-zero visibility, strong currents and an unstable structure that might not withstand aggressive handling or lifting.
Any salvage operation would therefore require specialist engineering, heavy equipment and detailed measures to protect workers, preserve evidence and prevent the vessel from breaking apart.
Mahipaul argued that those technical difficulties made speed more important—not less.
He said Guyana’s procurement laws provide mechanisms for emergency procurement in exceptional circumstances and maintained that the MV Barima disaster clearly met that threshold.
If the government regarded other projects as sufficiently urgent to justify sole sourcing or accelerated procurement, it should explain why a conventional process was selected for this operation, he said.
The administration has not publicly detailed why MARAD considered an open Expression of Interest the most appropriate approach.
A competitive process could allow the government to compare companies’ technical capabilities, safety plans, experience and prices. The trade-off is time—something families and investigators may feel they cannot afford.
Mahipaul also pointed to Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed’s offer to arrange the vessel’s recovery through an international marine-salvage company at no cost to taxpayers.
Mohamed said he was prepared to fund the exercise if authorities granted permission.
No detailed engineering or salvage proposal has been released publicly. The government would still need to verify the company’s experience, insurance, environmental safeguards and procedures for preserving a potential crime scene.
Mahipaul nevertheless questioned why the offer had not been formally assessed if it could shorten the delay.
He urged the government to use every lawful emergency mechanism available to begin the recovery sooner.
For Mahipaul, the question is not simply whether procurement rules are followed. It is whether the chosen process protects evidence, respects grieving families and gives the Commission of Inquiry the best opportunity to establish the truth.
