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The Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) investigating the capsizing of the M/V Barima has issued a formal clarification rejecting a Department of Public Information report that attributed statements about government ferry exemptions to the Commission’s legal counsel. In a document signed October 29, 2026, by CoI Chairman Justice Godfrey P. Smith SC, the Commission distanced itself from the DPI publication released eight days earlier, which had claimed that government-operated ferries do not require certificates of seaworthiness under the Transport and Harbours Act and its 1996 regulations.
The state media report had attributed these assertions to attorneys Arudranauth Gosai and Teni Housty, suggesting that such exemptions have existed since independence. However, the Commission stated that these public remarks prompted widespread concern and inquiries from the public about whether the statements reflected the CoI’s official position or signaled that the M/V Barima had been cleared of safety standards. The Commission made clear that no such determination has been reached.
According to the clarification, the Commission emphasized that questions regarding the vessel’s seaworthiness and certification requirements remain live issues to be resolved through further evidence and thorough review of relevant documentation. The CoI asserted that statements attributed to its counsel do not reflect the views or position of the Commission or any of its members, and declared it improper for counsel to publicly opine on matters whose final determination remains active before the panel.
The Commission, chaired by Justice Smith and comprising Dr. Andrzej Jasionowski, Captain Hamada Fouda, Nyree Dawn Alfonso, and Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Hayden Pritchard, is continuing its work with oral hearings resuming November 10. In the interim, Secretariat teams are visiting survivors in their communities, including Port Kaituma, to record witness statements in supportive settings.
The M/V Barima, a government-owned and operated ferry, capsized and subsequently sank, prompting the establishment of a Presidential Commission of Inquiry under the Commissions of Inquiry Act to investigate the incident and determine the circumstances surrounding the vessel’s loss.
This matter concerns maritime safety governance and accountability in a Caribbean nation, with implications for ferry operations and passenger safety across the region where similar vessels serve island and coastal communities.
Sources and attribution
- Kaieteur News
- Government ferries do not require seaworthiness certificates – COI counsel
- MV Barima inquiry seeks truth; no one will be shielded – CoI …
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