Pres. Ali names 5-member COI to investigate MV Barima disaster

Jul 27, 2026 News

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…sidesteps calls for opposition, Parliament oversight

(Kaieteur News) – One week after the MV Barima capsized en route to Region One leaving 73 dead and at least 30 still missing, President Irfaan Ali has named a five-member Commission of Inquiry (COI) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the capsizing and sinking of the vessel.

In a video statement on Sunday, the head-of-state named Justice Godfrey Phillip Smith of Belize to serve as chair of the COI.  Smith previously served as a member of the COI team that investigated the 2^nd March, 2020 general elections. He serves as a CARICOM High-Level Representative for Law and Criminal Justice and an Ad-Hoc Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal.

Other members are: Dr. Andrzej Jasionowski of Poland, 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, attorney with expertise in Admirality and Maritime Law and Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Hayden A. Pritchard of Trinidad and Tobago, a distinguished professional with decades of experience in maritime operations and maritime security.

According to President Ali, the commission will determine its own procedures and methods of work consistent with its mandate. He stated that the terms of reference of COI will be establishing the full circumstances surrounding the tragedy, including the causes and all other factors relating to the loading of the vessel, the boarding of passengers, conditions on board, the capsizing and sinking of the MV Barima, and any other related matters.

The task is to review comprehensively all aspects of the search, rescue, and recovery operations, including the adequacy, coordination, and effectiveness of the response by all agencies and stakeholders involved. The COI members will also evaluate the extent to which applicable laws, regulations, standards, and operating procedures governing ferries were complied with, determining whether any acts of negligence, misconduct, dereliction of duty, or other failures by any individual entity or institution contributed to or caused the disaster.

The MV Barima capsized on 18^th July while travelling to Port Kaituma, with some 179 people on board. To date, 76 persons have been rescued and 73 bodies recovered, while at least 30 people remain unaccounted for. Since the tragedy, questions have been raised about the 87-year-old vessel’s maintenance, seaworthiness, regulatory oversight, the manifest and whether the vessel was overloaded with passengers and cargo.

President Ali outlined that the COI members are tasked with inspecting the condition and maintenance history of the vessel, including its seaworthiness, analysing the influence of weather, sea conditions, tides, currents, navigation, communications, and other environmental or operational factors that may have contributed to the incident.

Other aspects include appraising the competence, qualification, training, and conduct of the vessel’s master and crew, including compliance with established maritime safety and emergency procedures.

The COI members will also scrutinise the management, including embarkation procedures and manifest preparation.

President Ali said the team will also investigate, “the possible overcrowding of the vessel, the stowage of cargo, the availability and use of life-saving equipment, and adherence to the percentage of safety requirements recommending any legislative, regulatory, institutional, and operational reforms, together with any other measures necessary to strengthen maritime safety, improve emergency preparedness and response, and reduce the likelihood of similar tragedies occurring in the future.”

“The necessary legal instruments required to give effect to this decision are currently being formalised. Upon completion, the Commission will commence its work in accordance with the provisions of the law,” Ali added.  

No consultation with opposition

Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition, Azruddin Mohamed on Saturday expressed disappointment with the announcement by the president which he said was made without any consultation with opposition members of parliament (MPs).

The leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party pointed out that reports for previous COIs have been hidden from the public, which he hopes does not recur in this matter. Mohamed expressed hope that the commission would function independently and conduct its work transparently, with the full inquiry being livestreamed given its national and international impact. Additionally, he made it clear that the full final report must be released to the public.

The Opposition Leader also suggested that as a member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Guyana should seek the involvement of appropriate international maritime experts and institutions to support this investigation.

Parliamentary involvement

Meanwhile, in a separate statement on Saturday, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) expressed concern that President Ali did not consult with the Parliamentary Opposition despite the group represents a substantial portion of Guyanese. It said reports indicate that the Commission was selected solely by the Head of State, contrary to widespread calls from civil society and the opposition for an inclusive process.

To this end, the party made it clear that a COI can only enjoy public confidence if it is genuinely independent and visibly free from political influence. As such, it noted that “excluding the opposition from the process undermines that confidence from the outset and creates the unfortunate perception that this exercise is designed to manage public outrage rather than establish the full truth.”

APNU argued that the families of those who lost loved ones as well as survivors and the nation deserves answers instead of a process that seems predetermined or carefully controlled by the very administration whose agencies are now under scrutiny.

APNU Member of Parliament, Dr. Terrence Campbell, had stressed that there are many unanswered questions surrounding the MV Barima tragedy and believes the next sitting of the National Assembly should be dedicated to addressing them.

Dr. Campbell argued that parliament should first determine the way forward, including the composition and scope of the COI.

“This is the biggest disaster in Guyana’s history…” he added, noting that while the Jonestown tragedy claimed hundreds of lives, very few were Guyanese.

“So, the biggest tragedy from a single event in Guyana’s history, this needs to be addressed at the level of the national assembly. This type of incident and the path forward to avoid any recurrence must be addressed at the level of national assembly,” Dr. Campbell stated.

He maintained that the MV Barima tragedy should be placed at the top of parliament’s agenda, arguing that the country’s focus must be on ensuring such a disaster never happens again.

Dr. Campbell said Guyanese need more than assurances that a Commission of Inquiry will be established; they need confidence that it will be independent and transparent.

“So, we need to have proper terms of reference and so on. I think the decisions, the parliament needs to have a say in the decision going forward as to Commission Of Inquiry and all other steps that must be taken and questions must be asked, hard questions must be asked,” he said.

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• APNU, Commission of Inquiry, MV Barima, Parliament oversight, President Irfaan Ali

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