Opposition Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul is calling on the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the MV Barima tragedy to publicly guarantee that survivors will not have to bear the cost of transportation, accommodation and meals when they travel to Georgetown to give evidence.
Mahipaul said survivors have already endured the trauma of the disaster and should not face additional financial hardship simply because they choose to testify before the Commission.
“The survivors have already paid a price. They should not have to pay to be heard,” Mahipaul said in a statement.
He is urging the Commission to make clear, without ambiguity, that the basic and reasonable expenses of every survivor who is required to attend the inquiry will be covered. For survivors travelling from outside Georgetown, Mahipaul said this should include airfare or other reasonable transportation costs, accommodation and meals for the period they are required to remain in the capital to provide testimony.
For survivors living in and around Georgetown, he said transportation to and from the Commission and meals should also be provided where their attendance is required. “These are not unreasonable demands,” Mahipaul said, noting that such measures would remove practical barriers that could prevent survivors from coming forward.
He said he has not seen or heard sufficient public information from the Commission assuring survivors that such arrangements will be made. “That needs to change,” he said.
Secretary to the Commission Javed Shadick said yesterday that the Commission, which will have its first sitting next Wednesday, has identified more than 100 potential witnesses, including survivors, relatives of those who died, first responders and officials.
The Commission is scheduled to conduct preliminary visits and meetings with affected communities before the formal hearings begin. Commissioners are expected to travel to Mabaruma on Monday to visit the wharf and meet with survivors and families from surrounding areas, followed by a visit to Port Kaituma on Tuesday.
Mahipaul observed that survivors could provide some of the most important evidence before the inquiry and that every effort should therefore be made to ensure they are able to participate. “If we genuinely want the truth about what happened aboard the MV Barima, then we must create an environment in which survivors feel welcomed, respected, supported and protected, not burdened,” he said.
He is also urging the Commission to communicate directly with survivors about the arrangements so they know beforehand that testifying will not impose a financial burden on themselves or their families.
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