-Over 100 witnesses could testify
-by Kimberly Giddings
The Commission of Inquiry into the MV Barima tragedy begins a new phase of its work on Wednesday, starting with meetings with affected families before moving to site inspections and formal hearings.
The inquiry could eventually hear from more than one hundred witnesses, although only one survivor has so far come forward to give evidence.
The investigation into the MV Barima tragedy is moving closer to the formal taking of evidence.
Beginning Wednesday, commissioners will meet affected families from Regions Three, Four and Five at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
But these will not yet be formal hearings.
Secretary to the Commission, Javed Shadick, says the initial engagement is intended to explain the process, hear from families and identify persons who may have information useful to the inquiry.
“For these meetings, the one tomorrow afternoon and the ones at Port Kaituma and Mabaruma are not evidencetaken, we won’t be taking evidence. It is just a meeting as the commissioners wish to reach out to them but it won’t be for them to be giving,” he explained.
From there, commissioners head into the field.
On Thursday, they will inspect the Kingston Wharf and visit the Maritime Administration Department and the Transport and Harbours Department.
Friday’s work will take them to Gopie Investments Incorporated and Guyana Ports Incorporated – two dry-dock facilities on the East Bank of Demerara.
The inquiry then moves to Region One next week.
Commissioners will visit Mabaruma on Monday and Port Kaituma on Tuesday, inspecting wharf facilities and meeting survivors and families.
Formal sittings are expected to begin later that week.
And once those hearings begin, the witness list could be significant.
“So far on the TOR’s, we have kind of divided up the types of witnesses, were looking at persons who would’ve been first responders, officials, and survivors and families of those who would’ve perished. That is a very broad categorization. The number of persons I cannot say how much would be but our initial count, we’re looking at more than 100 witnesses,” he said.
Those witnesses could include survivors, relatives of those who died, first responders, government officials and maritime surveyors.
Commission counsel will first interview persons believed to have relevant information before determining who will appear.
But despite the potentially large witness pool, Shadick disclosed that only one survivor has so far come forward to give evidence.
“Only one person has made contact with the secretariat informing us of their intent to step forward,” he said.
The Commission has already received preliminary documents, including the MV Barima’s manifest, but those records will still have to be formally tendered during the hearings.
Witnesses can be accompanied by their own attorneys, while interpreters will be provided for persons who cannot communicate in English.
Shadick also says the vessel’s captain and crew members who are before the courts in connection with the tragedy are free to give evidence to the Commission.
He could not say, however, whether Public Works Minister Juan Edghill or Public Utilities and Aviation Minister Deodat Indar will be called.
With potentially more than one hundred witnesses and several locations to examine, the inquiry is not expected to conclude quickly.
“The commission is based on evidence we put to them. Wherever there are gaps, the commissioner will indicate and those things will have to be fixed. Based on our initial estimate, I think that maybe [in] 6 months,” Shaddick explained.
The Commission says it has the resources and technical expertise required to conduct the inquiry.
Its job now is to follow the evidence, identify any gaps and establish the circumstances surrounding the MV Barima tragedy.