Despite securing a $1.034 billion contract to salvage the sunken MV Barima, BK International has yet to publicly clarify when the operation will begin, what equipment it will deploy or whether it has the technical expertise and personnel needed to recover the wreck, with its boss unavailable to speak when the company was approached by Kiskadee Watch yesterday.
An employee initially said that the company’s boss, Brian Tiwarie would arrive in approximately 20 minutes. However, after she called him and informed him about the visit, a message was subsequently relayed that he would not be in the jurisdiction for the day. Further, the employee said she could not help with the boss’s phone number.
The lack of clarity on important subjects comes as families of victims continue to demand that the vessel be raised, insisting that recovering the wreck is critical to establishing what caused the July 18 disaster and even recovering the remains of missing loved ones.
BK International was awarded the $1.034 billion contract to salvage the vessel off Devonshire Castle Flats, Essequibo Coast, under a “no cure, no pay” arrangement. However, the award of the contract has not yet provided the public with a clear timeline for the recovery operation or detailed information about the technical arrangements for raising the wreck.
The operation is also expected to be important to the ongoing Commission of Inquiry into the tragedy, with investigators needing to ensure that evidence is preserved during the salvage.
Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed accused the government of awarding the salvage contract to a “buddy friend”, alleging that the arrangement was intended to allow control of what would happen in the recovery operation.
Speaking with Kiskadee Watch yesterday, Mohamed charged that BK International would not successfully raise the vessel, arguing that he could have completed the job at a significantly lower cost. He further alleged that the objective was to keep the wreck on the seabed for as long as possible, causing further damage and making the salvage operation more difficult.
The Opposition Leader also expressed doubt that BK International would be able to recover the vessel.
Earlier this month, MV Barima CoI Commissioner Dr Andrzej Jasionowski disclosed that he had met with a potential salvage team to discuss recovering the vessel while protecting evidence. At the time, he indicated that the operation could begin in October, although a confirmed commencement date has not been publicly established.
Commissioner Jasionowski had apparently released that information unwittingly when being questioned by Jasmin Cort, daughter and niece of missing persons Neil and Kenrick Cort, as Chairman of the CoI, Belizean Justice of Appeal Godfrey Phillip Smith said he was not aware of such. However, Jasionowski, seemingly caught off guard, clarified that this was the information that was relayed to the commissioners.
The uncertainty surrounding the salvage has heightened frustration among relatives who have repeatedly called for the wreck to be recovered.
During engagements with the CoI recently, relatives questioned the delay in salvaging the vessel and raised concerns about whether BK International had the necessary experience to undertake such a complex operation.
Royston Frank, whose son Rawle Frank was among those aboard the vessel, questioned the circumstances surrounding the salvage arrangements and the information available about the contractor and the recovery process.
Other relatives have pressed for a definite timeline, arguing that the wreck must be examined to help investigators establish what happened during the vessel’s final voyage.
Kevon Thomas, whose brothers Kyle and Brian were aboard the MV Barima, also called for a firm recovery date and expressed concern about the possibility of further delays. Kyle’s body was recovered, while Brian remained missing.
The MV Barima disaster claimed 73 lives, while 76 people survived. For the bereaved families, raising the vessel represents an important step towards obtaining answers and, where possible, recovering missing relatives.
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