More than two months after the MV Barima disaster, the Commission of Inquiry is still unable to say whether Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and Minister of Public Utilities Deodat Indar will be called to testify, with commissioners saying yesterday that they have not yet reached that stage of their investigation.
As the commissioners officially marked the opening of the CoI proceedings at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Kiskadee Watch asked if the two ministers should not in fact be among the key persons being called upon to give testimony.
Chairman, Belizean Justice of Appeal Godfrey Phillip Smith responded that the commissioners had not yet reached the stage of deciding which ministers, if any, would appear before the inquiry.
“We have not reached that stage yet…We are still drawing up a list of witnesses; still examining the evidence,” he said.
He nevertheless assured that the commissioners would follow the evidence wherever it leads and would call a minister if the evidence shows that his testimony is necessary. “If it becomes clear that we require the evidence of a minister, they will be asked to come before the commission.”
Smith said yesterday that the commissioners would not make assumptions about responsibility before completing their examination. “We are not going to jump to conclusions; we won’t make a rush judgement. We don’t come with any predetermined conclusion,” he said.
He acknowledged that members of the public are anxious for answers but said the inquiry must be conducted in a manner that is “organized, procedurally fair and transparent.”
The five-member commission formally opened its proceedings and later met with relatives of survivors and victims from the coastland.
Smith, Dr. Andrzej Jasionowski, Nyree Dawn Alfonso, Captain Hamada Fouda and Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Hayden Pritchard were sworn in on July 30 to investigate the July 18 sinking of the state-owned MV Barima. The two lawyers for the CoI are Teni Housty and Arudranauth Gossai.
President Irfaan Ali had declined to say whether action would be taken against the ministers, saying he would await the findings of the CoI. However, public calls for their removal intensified after the disaster, with protesters and opposition figures arguing that both ministers should be held accountable.
Edghill, whose ministry has responsibility for the Transport and Harbours Department, was among the officials who addressed the public in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. Questions have subsequently been raised about the vessel’s seaworthiness, maintenance, loading and regulatory oversight.
Internal maintenance and defects records documented several mechanical and electrical problems aboard the 87-year-old MV Barima between November 2025 and March 2026, including an out-of-service generator, leaking engine exhaust, overheating machinery, defective cooling equipment and deteriorated batteries.
Tender documents have reportedly outlined approximately $124.5 million in proposed repairs to the MV Barima, including work on its hull plating and framing, cargo hatches, propulsion and steering systems, sea valves, propeller shafts, stern tubes and other components.
Questions have also been raised over the accuracy of the vessel’s passenger manifest, its loading and the regulatory systems governing domestic ferry operations. Edghill had initially said the vessel was not overloaded, while later developments established that the official manifest did not accurately reflect the number of people aboard.
The CoI’s mandate includes examining the circumstances surrounding the sinking, including the vessel’s condition, loading and operation, compliance with safety and legal requirements, possible negligence or institutional failures, and accountability.
The commission’s formal evidence-taking is expected to begin next Wednesday, October 14, with more than 100 potential witnesses reportedly identified for processing. Its secretary, Javed Shadick, also said he could not yet say whether Edghill and Indar would be among those called.
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