HGP NIGHTLY NEWS – Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry into the deadly MV Barima tragedy, Justice Godfrey P. Smith, has declared that the Commission will not operate as an arm of the Government, promising that its findings will be determined by evidence and not outside influence.
Justice Smith made the declaration as public hearings into the July 18 disaster formally opened on Wednesday. While acknowledging that the Commission was appointed by President Irfaan Ali, the Chairman stressed that its responsibility does not lie with the administration or any other institution.
“Our allegiance is to the law, to our Terms of Reference, to procedural fairness and to the truth as established through credible and tested evidence,” Justice Smith said.
He pledged that the Commission would follow the evidence wherever it leads as it attempts to establish what happened aboard the MV Barima and why.
The inquiry will examine whether there were warning signs or failures before the vessel sank and whether maritime laws, regulations and safety procedures were properly followed and enforced.
It will also investigate the wider systems responsible for maritime safety and oversight to determine whether institutional or systemic weaknesses contributed to the tragedy.
The Commission is expected to make recommendations aimed at strengthening maritime safety and reducing the possibility of a similar disaster occurring again.
The commencement of public hearings represents a major stage in the inquiry, with the Commission now moving from preliminary engagements and evidence gathering to formally receiving and testing testimony surrounding the tragedy.
Justice Smith said the process will be guided by procedural fairness and credible evidence as the Commission seeks to establish the circumstances that led to one of Guyana’s deadliest maritime disasters.
