The MV Barima Commission of Inquiry (COI) will host a formal opening ceremony on Wednesday ahead of the commencement of public hearings next week, the Commission’s Secretary, Javed Shadick disclosed today.

More than 100 witnesses including survivors, the families of those who perished, officials and first responders are among the persons expected to appear before the Commission.

During a press conference held today at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Shadick told reporters that the five-member Commission led by Justice Godfrey Phillip Smith of Belize will host an opening ceremony at the Conference Centre tomorrow morning, before meeting with the survivors, and the families of those who died when the MV Barima sank on July 18 on its way to Port Kaituma from Port Georgetown.

“In the afternoon, the Commissioners will be meeting with the families of the survivors for all those persons along the Coastland, Regions 3, 4, and 5. On Thursday, the Commissioners will be taking a tour of the Kingston Wharf, that would be around 9am in the morning, and MARAD, and Transport and Harbours Department at Kingston,” Shadick detailed.

Visits will also be conducted to Mabaruma, and Port Kaituma next Monday and Tuesday where the Commissioners will not only visit the wharves there, but will also engage with the survivors and families of those who survived and perished.

Shadick was keen on noting that it is not the intention of the Commission to take evidence during the visit to families, emphasizing that all evidence will be presented to the Commission when it commences public hearings on Wednesday, October 14. Hearings will be conducted from 9am to 4pm.

So far, only a single survivor has submitted evidence to the Commission.

“Not many persons have come forward. In fact, only one person has made contact with the secretariat informing us of their intent to step forward”, he said.

Shadick, however, estimates that more than 100 persons are likely to appear.

“So far on the TORs, we have divided types of witnesses. So, we are looking at persons who would have been first responders, officials, and survivors, and families of those who would have perished, that is a very broad categorization. The number of persons, I cannot say how much would be in each one but our initial count, we are looking at more than 100 witnesses,” he explained.

He said the Commission, based on the number of witnesses willing to come forward, will determine whether public hearings will be conducted in Port Kaituma and Mabaruma, where a majority of the survivors and victims were from.

The Counsel for the Commission, Attorney-at-Law Arudranauth Gossai and Attorney-at-Law Teni Housty have been working behind the scenes interviewing potential witnesses and gathering documentary evidence, Shadick said.

The Commission is mandated to establish, so far as the evidence permits, the full facts and sequence of events; determine the immediate, direct, contributing and systemic causes of the casualty, identify the shortcomings or failures; and assess compliance with applicable legal and safety requirements.

Against that background, Shadick was questioned about the Commission’s ability to effectively execute its mandate when the wreckage with a significant amount of evidence, remains on the seabed, and three of the key witnesses, two of whom were apart of the crew, are behind bars. Shadick, in response, said those questions cannot be answered by him, only the Commissioners.

The Commission is tasked with determining whether any act or omission, negligence, misconduct, dereliction of duty, systemic deficiency or institutional failure by any individual, entity or institution contributed to or caused the casualty or adversely affected the response to the tragedy.

The Commission was expected to complete its work within two months but Shadick said an extension would be sought, positing that it could take the commission approximately six months to complete its work.

The Commission was appointed in July, shortly after the tragedy which claimed the lives of more than 100 persons. Only 76 persons survived the tragedy.

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