GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Oct 6, CMC – The Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the July 18 V Barima tragedy will get underway on Wednesday next week, the Secretary of the Commission, Javed Shadick said on Tuesday.
Three people, including the captain of the ill-fated ferry, Kevin Price, 40, his 42-year-old chief mate, Rondell Dwayne Roberts; and Delon Granderson, a 33-year-old, have been charged with murder after the 87-year-old vessel sank on July 18, resulting in the death of 72 people and more than 30 others missing and presumed dead.
The vessel was on its way from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, a small village within the Barima-Waini administrative region of the country. At least 77 people were rescued.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips had said that despite the official manifest indicating that 116 passengers and a crew of 17 had been on board the vessel, the authorities believe that 179 people including the crew members were on the vessel when it capsized after being hit by a large wave.
“On Wednesday, we plan to commence the first sitting of the Commission here where we will start gathering evidence from persons who wish and who we would have processed,” Shadick said, telling reporters that more than 100 witnesses are expected to testify before the five-member Commission, which is chaired by Justice Godfrey Phillip Smith of Belize.
Shadick said the hearings will be held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, where the Commission Secretariat is based and will take place Mondays to Fridays from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm (local time)
He said the potential witnesses have been broadly divided into categories including first responders, officials, survivors and families of those who perished in the tragedy.
Despite a notice issued last week inviting persons with information to come forward, only one person, a survivor, has so far contacted the Secretariat indicating an intention to testify.
President Irfaan Ali established the Commission which is tasked with establishing the full circumstances surrounding the MV Barima tragedy. It will also examine the adequacy of search, rescue and recovery operations, the vessel’s seaworthiness and maintenance history, and the competence of its crew.
The Commission was initially given two months to complete its work but Shadick said an extension will be necessary as the evidence-gathering process is expected to take longer.
“The two months time frame would have to be extended because I think we could all do the maths and see that the two months are almost up so that would be extended,” he said, estimating that the Commission’s work could take about six months.
“The way it works is that all evidence taken is done I don’t know how long that is going to take and then the report is done afterwards so based on our initial estimate i think that maybe six months,” he said.
CMC/ah/ir/2026