Two Trinidad and Tobago maritime experts have been appointed to the Commission of Enquiry established by Guyana President Dr Irfaan Ali to investigate the capsizing and sinking of the MV Barima.
Announcing the five-member commission on Saturday, Ali named Trinidad and Tobago attorney Nairi Dawn Alfonso, an expert in admiralty and maritime law, and retired Rear Admiral Hayden Pritchard, a veteran of maritime operations and maritime security, among the commissioners.
The commission will be chaired by Justice Godfrey Philip Smith of Belize, CARICOM High Level Representative for Law and Criminal Justice and an Ad Hoc Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal.
The other members are Polish naval architect and marine engineer Dr Andre Jesse Anungski, who has advised on investigations into several major maritime disasters, and Captain Hamada Fauda, Senior Maritime Surveyor and Compliance Auditor with the Maritime Authority of Jamaica.
Ali said the commission was established under the Commissions of Enquiry Act and fulfils a commitment he made following the tragedy.
The commission has been tasked with determining the full circumstances surrounding the capsizing and sinking of the MV Barima, including the causes of the disaster, the loading of the vessel, passenger boarding procedures, conditions on board and any other related matters.
It will also review all aspects of the search, rescue and recovery operation, including the adequacy, coordination and effectiveness of the response by agencies and stakeholders.
Commissioners will examine whether ferry laws, regulations, standards and operating procedures were followed and determine whether negligence, misconduct, dereliction of duty or other failures by any individual, entity or institution contributed to the disaster.
The enquiry will also inspect the vessel’s condition and maintenance history, assess its seaworthiness and examine the influence of weather, sea conditions, tides, currents, navigation, communications and other operational factors.
In addition, the commission will review the qualifications and conduct of the vessel’s master and crew, passenger management procedures, possible overcrowding, cargo stowage, the availability of life-saving equipment and compliance with passenger safety requirements.
The panel is expected to recommend legislative, regulatory, institutional and operational reforms to strengthen maritime safety, improve emergency preparedness and reduce the likelihood of similar tragedies.
Ali said the legal instruments required to establish the commission are being finalised and that it will begin its work once those formalities are completed.
The commission was announced a week after the MV Barima capsized and sank off Guyana’s coast on the night of July 18 while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, in what has become the country’s deadliest maritime disaster. Authorities have since recovered dozens of bodies while rescue and recovery efforts continue.
