In another few days – Friday, September 25 to be exact – it will be two months since President Irfaan Ali announced that an independent international Commission of Inquiry (COI) would be established to investigate the MV Barima disaster. Yet, the process continues to drag on with the public and family members of victims clueless about a start date.
Attorney-at-law Javed Shadick, who has been appointed Secretary to the COI, told Kiskadee Watch yesterday that at this point, there is no information that he could share regarding the start of the inquiry.
Shadick, who previously served as Secretary to the COI into the Mahdia Secondary School dormitory fire and the Presidential COI into the March 2020 General and Regional Elections, is responsible for overseeing the administrative functions of the inquiry.
The five-member commission was officially revealed on July 26, 2026, while the swearing in ceremony at State House took place on July 30.
The COI is chaired by former Attorney General of Belize, Godfrey Phillip Smith, and the other commissioners are Captain Hamada Fouda of Jamaica, Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Hayden Pritchard of Trinidad and Tobago, Nyree Dawn Alfonso of Trinidad and Tobago, and forensic naval engineering expert Dr. Andrzej Jasionowski of Poland.
Relatives of victims have expressed frustration over the lack of information and uncertainty surrounding the investigation.
Tianie Thomas, sister of MV Barima victims Kyle and Brian Thomas, had told Kiskadee Watch during a protest outside the Office of the President that families were frustrated by a lack of communication from authorities. “We ain’t hearing nothing; like everything gone silent,” Thomas said, explaining that relatives wanted to know when the vessel would be brought up.
“We want to know when the boat will float. We need justice for our loved ones. We need answers,” she further expressed.
The Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) has also raised concerns about the delayed start of the inquiry with Executive Director Jean La Rose warning that the passage of time could affect witnesses and undermine the investigation.
She said the commission would need to hear from survivors, relatives and others affected by the disaster, particularly people from Region One, and questioned how those persons would be reached and enabled to participate meaningfully.
La Rose also raised the possibility of witnesses being compromised or intimidated before they are able to give evidence.
The wreck remains underwater and is considered important physical evidence for establishing what happened. Opposition MP Ganesh Mahipaul has similarly warned that the longer the vessel remains on the seabed, the greater the concern over preservation of evidence relevant to the inquiry.
The commission has pledged to conduct its work independently, impartially, thoroughly and expeditiously.
The Commission is expected to examine the circumstances leading up to the sinking of the vessel on July 18, the response to the disaster, and any failures that may have contributed to the tragedy.
The MV Barima, an 87-year-old ferry built in 1939, capsized while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, claiming the lives of 73 people. At least 30 people remain unaccounted for, while 77 were rescued.
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