By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
LILIENDAAL, GREATER GEORGETOWN — Approximately 80 days after the catastrophic sinking of the state-operated ferry MV Barima, the long-awaited Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) has officially established its procedural calendar, scheduling formal public hearings to commence in eight days on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).
The announcement was delivered by Secretary to the Commission Javed Shadick, who confirmed that the inquiry officially launches with an opening ceremony on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
More than 100 witnesses—encompassing traumatized survivors, bereaved family members, maritime regulators, Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) administrators, and emergency first responders—are expected to take the witness stand under oath. The disaster, which unfolded in July, claimed the lives of more than 100 passengers and crew, with only 76 persons surviving the catastrophe.
Procedural Timeline & Hinterland Outreach: Regions 1, 3, 4, and 5
Ahead of formal public testimony, the five-member commission, chaired by eminent jurist Justice Godfrey Phillip Smith, is initiating closed preliminary briefings with affected relatives across both coastal and hinterland corridors:
- Coastal Relatives Briefing: Following the opening ceremony at the ACCC on Wednesday afternoon, the Commissioners will meet directly with families of victims and survivors residing across coastal Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), and Five (Mahaica-Berbice).
- Hinterland Fact-Finding Mission: On Monday and Tuesday, the Commissioners will travel to Mabaruma and Port Kaituma in Region One (Barima-Waini) to inspect loading facilities, passenger terminals, and docking wharves, while meeting face-to-face with local survivors and families of the deceased.
- Evidence Strictly in Public Hearings: Shadick clarified that the upcoming outreach visits will not collect official evidence, as all witness testimonies, cross-examinations, and documentary exhibits must be tendered transparently during public hearings. To date, only one survivor has formally submitted evidence.
- Potential Regional Sittings: The Commission is actively deliberating whether to stage satellite public hearings directly within Port Kaituma and Mabaruma to accommodate hinterland residents who cannot travel to the capital.
“In the afternoon, the Commissioners will be meeting with the families of the survivors for all those persons along the Coastland, Regions 3, 4, and 5,” Shadick confirmed.
“The number of persons, I cannot say how much would be in each one, but our initial count, we are looking at more than 100 witnesses.”
Evidentiary Challenges: Sunken Hull and Imprisoned Witnesses
Evidence assembly is currently being led by Commission Counsels Arudranauth Gossai and Teni Housty, who are actively screening and interviewing potential witnesses.
However, the inquiry faces acute evidentiary and logistical hurdles:
- Evidence Trapped on the Seabed: Key physical evidence—including the vessel’s hull, internal mechanical compartments, cargo manifest records, and voyage data—remains submerged on the ocean floor, as families continue to demand that the state refloat the wreckage.
- Incarcerated Key Witnesses: Critical crew members and prospective witnesses remain remanded in prison, presenting unique procedural questions regarding witness security and custody during open sessions.
- Pressed by media on how these limitations might impact the Commission’s effectiveness, Shadick noted that determinations regarding technical subpoena powers, forensic salvage, and incarcerated testimonies remain the exclusive constitutional purview of the Commissioners.
Broad Mandate and 6-Month Timeline Extension
The Commission’s terms of reference require it to establish full chronological timelines, pinpoint direct mechanical and human causes, assess regulatory non-compliance, and determine whether any act, omission, systemic breakdown, or institutional failure aggravated the casualty or delayed rescue operations.
Although originally mandated to complete its inquiry and submit a final report within two months of its July appointment, Shadick confirmed that an extension will be formally requested, estimating that completing the expansive investigative docket will require approximately six months.
