Former Minister questions independence of MV Barima COI as secretary deeply tied to Gov’t

Aug 04, 2026 Sports

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(Kaieteur News) – Former Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson is questioning the independence of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) announced by the President of Guyana to probe the circumstances of the capsizing and sinking of the MV Barima vessel that has resulted in the death of 73 persons.

On 18^th July , the 87-year-old vessel capsized after sailing from the Kingston, Georgetown wharf on its voyage to Port Kaituma. Search and rescue teams were able to save 76 persons from the rough waters, though one victim subsequently succumbed.

President Ali publicly committed to an international, independent probe of the tragedy and subsequently announced a five-member team stacked with experts from abroad.

On Sunday, it was revealed that Attorney, Javed Shadick will function as Secretary to the Commission.

Raising an alarm over this announcement, Patterson on Monday questioned the selection of the lawyer, raising questions about the application process for his appointment by the state.

The interim leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) highlighted that was the Secretary to the Commission into the Madhia Secondary School dormitory fire as well as the Secretary of the Presidential Commission Inquiry into the March 2020 General and Regional Elections. Shadick is the son of former PPP Government minister and Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner, Bibi Shadick.

He currently serves as the Secretary of the Constitution Reform Commission and performs a key function in the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), which falls under the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation, spearheaded by Minister Deodat Indar.

Recently, calls have intensified for Indar who has responsibility for the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) as well as Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill to resign over the disaster.

Given his plethora of responsibilities, Patterson said, “One would have thought that his hands were filled carrying out this important task. But now, out of the thousands of available lawyers, he has been selected once again, dropping his important mandate to coordinate the rewriting of our Constitution to head his fourth Commission.”

The politician therefore questioned the independence of the commission, highlighting the important administrative functions that will be performed by the Secretary.

In an invited comment, he told this newspaper that Shadick will filter all information that the commission receives. Furthermore, the secretary will be tasked with completing the report into the capsizing and sinking of the vessel.

“Great start to a thorough, transparent and independent international Commission of Inquiry,” Patterson mocked.

He told this newspaper, “Not only must Justice be done; it must also be seen to be done. This COI into the worst maritime accident in our country’s history has not gotten off on the right footing, first despite calls for an inclusionary input from the opposition and civil society, the government proceeded to unilaterally appoint all the commissioners.”

He said questions still abound over the relationship of some of the commissioners to both the government as well as certain business entities in the country.

He pointed out that this is the second occasion where tragedy has befallen Indigenous lives as he called for a COI befitting the memories of their loved ones.

Additionally, he questioned the timeline for the COI. “Having reviewed the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the inquiry into the 18^th July  capsizing of the MV Barima, one issue immediately stands out: the two-month deadline for completion. The commissioners acknowledge that salvaging the vessel is necessary so the wreck can be examined for evidential purposes. Yet, despite this, they have limited the inquiry to just two months.”

He said that based on draft plans, seen by him, to salvage the vessel, the estimated timeline for successfully recovering the sunken ferry is between 10 and 14 weeks. “This does not even account for the ongoing procurement process, with Expressions of Interest due by 14^th August, 2026,” Patterson added.

He noted that even if a contract is awarded immediately afterwards, the vessel is unlikely to be salvaged before November 2026, roughly two months after the Commission of Inquiry is scheduled to conclude.

Last week, President Ali 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.

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• independence, Javed Shadick, MV Barima COI, Secretary

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