Justice Godfrey Philip Smith to Lead Guyana Ferry Tragedy Inquiry

Belizean jurist Justice Godfrey Philip Smith has been appointed to chair an international Commission of Inquiry into the MV Barima ferry tragedy in Guyana, which reportedly claimed more than 100 lives.  Guyanese President Irfaan Ali announced the five-member commission yesterday. Its members, drawn from Belize, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Poland, will investigate the vessel’s loading, passenger boarding, seaworthiness and the events leading to its capsizing. The inquiry will also examine possible overcrowding, cargo storage, lifesaving equipment, passenger-manifest procedures and the conduct and qualifications of the master and crew. The search, rescue and recovery operations will also be reviewed.  An estimated 179 people were reportedly aboard the vessel. Seventy-three bodies have been recovered, including 69 that have been positively identified, but the final death toll has not been confirmed.  Justice Smith serves as CARICOM’s High-Level Representative for Law and Criminal Justice and as an ad hoc Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal. The commission will begin its work once the required legal instruments are finalized.