Heavy govt cargo was loaded onto MV Barima, “breakdown” in routine inspection

Last Updated on Wednesday, 22 July 2026, 21:51 by Writer

Prime Minister Mark Phillips on Tuesday admitted that the government had loaded several heavy items onto the MV Barima, and said there appeared to be a “breakdown” in routine inspection of the vessel before it left Georgetown for Port Kaituma last Saturday afternoon.

Asked whether whether the government lost any cargo, he said the public works ministry lost “some equipment, fuel, machinery” and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). “All those things will be itemised as part of the whole investigative process,” he said.

The prime minister said he did not know whether any government official or minister insisted that those items be loaded onto the vessel regardless of the weight limitations.

“I don’t have such a report. I cannot say yes or no. I don’t have such a report. If there is such a report out there, I would say when the investigation commence, those people can come forward and you can submit statements to that effect,” he told a news conference.

For his part, public works minister Juan Edghill said equipment was on the vessel “to do the construction work that is going on in the area.”

He said the MV Barima could carry four vehicles, and based on the cargo manifest there were a pickup, and a car aboard.

After Mr Edghill said there is a system of inspecting the vessels before departure, but when asked how he did not ascertain that there were extra passengers aboard, the prime minister interjected, saying that “what you were raising there, obviously, there was some breakdown in the system” and that would also form part of the probe.

Initially, the government had said there were 116 passengers and 17 crew members.

However, after the names of several rescued persons were not on the manifest, authorities used video surveillance recordings at the Kingston Goods Wharf, Georgetown, to estimate that 179 passengers and crew members were aboard the craft when it sank Saturday night at about 11 O’clock about 10 nautical miles off the Essequibo Coast.

Amid persistent calls by the opposition for him to resign, he, the minister, said “I will address any issue at the appropriate time, not tonight.”