Last Updated on Thursday, 8 October 2026, 23:31 by Written By Denis Chabrol
The Ministry of Public Works’ Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) goods wharf on Water Street, Kingston on Thursday appeared to have specially ‘fixed up’ for the visit by the MV Barima inquiry commissioners.
Though they opted to be mum on what that they saw when approached by reporters, it was clear that they noted that there was a “brand new” vehicle weigh scale that was placed under a tent, seemingly part of the props for the five-member team appointed by President Irfaan Ali.
They checked tags on the weigh scale as well as several cables and realised that they were not connected to any other device to display the weight. One of the commissioners was moved to remark that the scale was “brand new” after he checked small tags on the equipment and realised that they were sticky. Minutes later, a T&HD staff member took two portable digital weighing indicators from a room, unlocked their cases and showed them to the commissioners.
Demerara Waves was reliably informed by well-placed sources at the goods wharf from where ferries like the MV Barima depart for North West District destinations that special efforts were made to ensure a few workers were clad in reflectorised vests. In fact, a number of the vests also appeared brand new. T&HD General Manager Yolanda Hughes declined to field questions, including about whether the site was specially prepared for the visit.
A children’s play section in the passengers’ waiting area also seemed unused and extremely clean as if it was unused. Reporters also saw workers earlier Thursday cleaning the chairs in the waiting area.
MV Malisha
As part of their broader mandate to recommend reforms to strengthen maritime safety and prevent a recurrence of the MV Barima tragedy of July 18 that claimed the lives of more than 100 persons, the inquiry commissioners visited the MV Malisha, a four-year old ferry that was acquired from India in 2022 at a cost of US$12.7 million, to serve the North West District.
Captain Hamada Fouda, a Senior Maritime Surveyor and Compliance Auditor with the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, who is a member of the COI, checked several areas of the MV Malisha. In one instance, he came upon a a rusty protective cap for a tank air vent, a part of which literally fragmented in his hand. The other similarly rusty vent’s manual valve wheel was also missing. There were also other corroded components.
The COI Chairman Justice Godfrey Smith said on Thursday that his team would examine inspection, certification, maintenance systems, operational procedures, supervision, staffing, training, enforcement and regulatory oversight where those matters are relevant. The probe team plans to identify and recommend legislation and regulations that require amendment and strengthening, institutional responsibilities that require clear delineation and enforcement, policy changes that must be implemented, training and certification that may be needed and how emergency response arrangements can be improved and any infrastructure and systems that may, over time, need to be put in place.
Justice Smith also said that that if the COI sees the need make make interim recommendations to the president in the interest of public safety, that would be done.
When the MV Barima sank about 10 miles off the Essequibo Coast while enroute from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, there were 179 passengers and crew aboard.
