International experts must conduct investigations into MV Barima tragedy- FGM Leader

Last Updated on Wednesday, 22 July 2026, 12:34 by Denis Chabrol

Leader of the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), Amanza Walton-Desir on Wednesday said government should call in overseas experts to conduct a specific investigation to comply with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) rules.

“It is my strong recommendation that this government call on our international partners, as the president so loves to say. I think calling on them now is appropriate to lend to Guyana the particular technical expertise that will be needed here,” she told an opposition news conference held at a We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) office.

Like aviation accidents, she said a marine safety investigation must be conducted. She emphasised the need to conduct such a probe urgently to preserve evidence for the safety of life convention. “The investigation, the marine safety investigation that we will do under the legal obligations that we have to the international organisation,” said Ms Walton-Desir, a former Legal Counsel at the Ministry of Public Works in the 1990s and later at the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

The FGM Leader said technical expertise could be drawn from various companies and organisations in the United States and Canada. “I am sure that those agencies will respond positively,” she said.

A second investigation, she added, could be conducted in the form of a Commission of Inquiry. Similarly, she said the Inquiry panel should not include anyone affiliated with the government. Such an approach, she argued, would give Guyanese some hope. “We don’t trust this government, and then of course there may be criminal proceedings flowing out of it. So this is why it’s important that you have institutional arrangements and people in positions that understand what has to happen, because it is obvious that they don’t,” said Ms Walton-Desir, a former member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR). 

The PNCR-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) did not participate in what was described as a joint opposition press conference.  WIN executive member, Tabita Sarabo-Halley declined to say what explanation APNU provided for its absence.

Former Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson said the maintenance, inspection, dry docking and certification records of the MV Barima should be provided to independent investigators.

Looking ahead, he recommended that every passenger vessel Guyana’s fleet be inspected to confirm its seaworthiness and suitability for the routes in which they are being used; immediate modernisation of docking facilities, the introduction of a secure and efficient ticketing system, and an urgent, credible program to replace aging vessels with a modern ferry supported by upgraded terminals. “This is not about one vessel. It’s about public safety, accountability, and the rights of citizens in the riverine and hindering communities to travel with confidence. Our people, the people, deserve answers, and they deserve a transportation system that is safe, and properly managed,” he said.

Mr Patterson also accused the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) administration of getting rid of vessel inspectors, who were appointed by the APNU+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) administration, to help combat the age-old problem of persons attempting to travel without official tickets with or without collusion of staff. He said those independent inspectors were hired directly by the then Public Infrastructure Ministry to verify that passengers, cargo, fuel, and related operational matters were properly accounted for and documented. This inspection system was disbanded. “The inspectors were removed, and to our knowledge, not replaced with an equivalent system of oversight. Had such a system remained in place, it may have helped prevent unsafe loading practices and other operation failures,” said Mr Patterson, the interim AFC Leader.