By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News |
LILIENDAAL, GREATER GEORGETOWN — Rejecting public skepticism regarding state influence over executive inquiries, Chairman of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the deadly MV Barima tragedy, Justice Godfrey P. Smith, declared unequivocally on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, that the five-member panel will not function as an arm of the Government.
Delivering remarks at the formal opening ceremony of the inquiry at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), the eminent jurist emphasized that despite being empaneled by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, the Commission owes allegiance solely to the rule of law, procedural fairness, and sworn evidence.
The proceedings mark the official start of the inquiry into the July 18, 2026 maritime disaster, which claimed more than 100 lives when the state-operated ferry went down, leaving only 76 known survivors.
Uncompromising Independence: Following the Evidence Wherever It Leads
Addressing bereaved relatives, legal counsels, state officials, and observers, Justice Smith made clear that the tribunal’s findings will be shaped exclusively by verifiable facts rather than political expediency:
- Separation from Executive Authority: Acknowledging that the Commission’s instrument of appointment originated from the Office of the President, Justice Smith drew a firm line between state appointment and judicial independence, stating that the Commission does not report to or answer to the executive administration.
- Core Investigative Mandate: The Chairman stated that the tribunal’s primary duty is to reconstruct the exact chain of events aboard the vessel, assess what triggered the sinking, and establish who permitted critical safety or operational failures to occur.
“Our task is to find out… permitted it to happen,” Justice Smith affirmed during his opening address.
“They require us so far… causes of the casualty.”
Scrutinizing Systemic Failures and Regulatory Oversight
Justice Smith stressed that the CoI’s investigative purview extends beyond the immediate crew and the physical vessel, reaching deep into the bureaucratic architecture governing maritime transport in Guyana:
- Institutional Accountability: The Commission will interrogate the wider safety, regulatory, and maritime oversight systems to evaluate whether systemic negligence, regulatory non-compliance, or lax enforcement by agencies like the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) contributed to the casualty.
- Preventing Recurrence: A foundational pillar of the inquiry’s terms of reference is examining institutional culpability to ensure structural vulnerabilities are rectified so such a disaster is never repeated in Guyanese waters.
“To consider accountability… possibility of occurrence,” Justice Smith stated, summarizing the Commission’s responsibility to evaluate both fault and systemic reform.
The Path Forward: Hearings and Rural Outreach
With opening statements concluded, the Commission begins its multi-phase operational calendar ahead of full public hearings:
- Family Engagement: Commissioners commenced closed engagements with bereaved coastal relatives across Regions Three, Four, and Five at the ACCC.
- Hinterland Fact-Finding: An on-site inspection visit to the wharves and affected families in Mabaruma and Port Kaituma (Region One) is scheduled for early next week.
- Public Testimonies: Formal evidentiary public hearings—led by Commission Counsels Arudranauth Gossai and Teni Housty, with more than 100 witnesses slated to take the stand—will officially commence on Wednesday, October 14, 2026.
