MV Barima Commission of Inquiry members sworn in; Media not invited to ceremony

The five Members of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) established to investigate the tragic sinking of the MV Barima were officially sworn today. Four of the Commissioners were administered the oath in person at State House, while the Chairman of the Commission, Justice Godfrey Phillip Smith of Belize was administered the oath virtually. Chief Magistrate, Judy Latchman administered the oath to the members of the Commission. The media was not invited to the swearing-in ceremony which was streamed on the President's social media pages. In addition to the Chairman, the other members of the Commission of Inquiry are Dr Andrzej Jasionowski of Poland, a Naval Architect and Marine Engineer who has advised on investigations into several major maritime disasters; Captain Hamada Fouda, Senior Maritime Surveyor and Compliance Auditor with the Maritime Authority of Jamaica; Nyree Dawn Alfonso of Trinidad and Tobago, an Attorney-at-Law with expertise in Admiralty and Maritime Law; and Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Hayden Pritchard of Trinidad and Tobago, a maritime professional with decades of experience in maritime operations and maritime security. The Commission has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive probe into the circumstances surrounding the ferry tragedy. The President described the Members of the Commission as persons of exceptional professional standing. He said he is pleased that the Government was able to move to formally swear in the Chairman and Members of the Commission of Inquiry to begin the probe. “Even as we continue to mourn those who loss their lives and stand in solidarity with the survivors and their loved ones, we have an equal solemn duty to establish the truth. Our nation deserves a full, fair and impartial account of what occurred, why it occurred and what must be done to ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated,” the President said. The Commission has been entrusted with a comprehensive mandate to inquire into every relevant aspect of the disaster. Its Terms of Reference are broad— requiring the Commission to establish the facts, examine the causes and contributing factors , evaluate compliance with applicable laws and operational standards, assess the effectiveness of the search, rescue and recovery operations; identify any shortcomings or failures and recommend reforms necessary to strengthen the safety of the local maritime sector. “The Nation awaits such report, the families would have suffered unimaginable loss await these answers. Future generations deserve the assurance that every lesson that can be learned from this tragedy will indeed be learned. While the Opposition has welcomed the establishment of the Commission, it has raised concerns over non-consultation over the selection of the Commissioners and the Terms of Reference for the Commission. There has also been some concern raised about some members of the Commission and their links to members of the current Government. The MV Barima sank off the Essequibo Coast two Saturdays ago during its journey from Georgetown to Port Kaituma. More than 70 persons lost their lives in the sinking, while there are still 30 others missing. 76 persons were rescued, including the Captain of the vessel, who was recently charged along with two others for 72 counts of murder related to the deaths in the disaster.