Untenable ‘suspicions’ equal a lot of lies — Somar Sahadeo — Opinion

Untenable ‘suspicions’ equal a lot of lies

October 13, 2026·3 min read

Dear Editor,

GHK Lall’s latest column, “MV Barima CoI in ICU^[1]”, is an absolute exercise in prolix grandiloquence – a piece of sheer verbiage that requires laborious parsing just to extract what ultimately amounts to ungrounded suspicions and partisan fumes.

This phrase-monger boldly asserts that the Guyanese public has zero trust in the nation’s leadership, claiming the commissioners must have noticed this “low gutter” of trust while interacting with grieving communities. He then slide-steps into near-litigious territory, intimating that while Chairman Justice Godfrey Smith promised to place responsibility wherever it belongs^[2], doing so would mean “biting the hand that feeds him.” This is a direct, unsubstantiated slur, implying the Commission is being ‘bought off’ to shield the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Administration.

For GHK Lall, the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) has been declared a failure even before it has even properly begun^[3]. It is clear that no matter the outcome, he has pre-programmed himself to view this genuine vessel for accountability as a political tool. I hope he soon tires of his own self-inflicted ennui.

Let us contrast Lall’s gobbledygook with the incontrovertible facts.

First, unlike those who hide behind a façade to mask past Gold Board scandals, questionable ties to wealthy families, or unverified Wall Street credentials, the appointed Commissioners are international figures of transparent, unassailable integrity. This five-member panel blends the absolute pinnacle of legal, technical, and maritime engineering expertise from across the Caribbean and Europe:

Justice Godfrey Phillip Smith, SC (Belize) — Chairman: A highly distinguished jurist serving as Caricom’s High-Level Representative for Law and Criminal Justice, and an Ad Hoc Justice of Appeal for the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal.
Dr Andrzej Jasionowski (Poland) — Naval Architect & Marine Engineer: A world-renowned authority on maritime safety and ship stability who specialises in forensic casualty investigations for major global maritime disasters.
Captain Hamada Fouda (Jamaica) — Senior Maritime Surveyor: A veteran compliance auditor with the Maritime Authority of Jamaica.
Ms Nyree Dawn Alfonso (Trinidad and Tobago): A prominent Attorney-at-Law specialising exclusively in Admiralty and Maritime Law.
Rear Admiral (Retired) Hayden Pritchard (Trinidad and Tobago): A retired military commander and veteran of regional naval defence and security protocols.

This panel is meticulously qualified for every single aspect of this inquiry. For an ink hornist like Lall to cast spidery aspersions on their character is pure effrontery – especially given the glass house of his own disputed academic, ecclesiastical, and professional claims. A sham is a shame, and he should stay quiet.

Furthermore, Lall’s claim that the CoI is stagnant or “in ICU” is a flat-out lie. The Commission is operating in overdrive. It has already proactively completed physical inspections of dry docks and maritime facilities along the Demerara River. The Commissioners are moving swiftly ahead of their legally scheduled public evidentiary hearings, which begin this Wednesday, October 14, 2026.

I now come to President Ali and his administration, as they have been bold, transparent, and broad-based in establishing the parameters of this probe. Invoking the Commissions of Inquiry Act, the President mandated a “comprehensive, independent, and impartial” investigation covering six expansive areas:

Seaworthiness and Safety of the Vessel
Passenger and Cargo Operations
Crew Competence and Conduct
Search, Rescue, and Recovery Operations
Regulatory and Institutional Oversight
Systemic Reforms

To completely disarm political opportunists, Chairman Justice Godfrey Smith has explicitly clarified the legal boundaries of the Terms of Reference (ToR). The CoI is not a criminal court and cannot sentence individuals, though it holds the power to refer criminal evidence directly to Prosecutors.^[2] Additionally, it does not award financial compensation. It is a strictly factual fact-finding mission currently based at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

Finally, President Irfaan Ali took the most ethical, legally-sound route possible by bypassing the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD). While MARAD typically handles routine casualty investigations, the unprecedented scale of the MV Barima tragedy – which claimed 73 lives – demanded a shift away from internal State actors. Because MARAD regulated the vessel, it could not legally or ethically audit itself.

By bringing in independent, unaligned global experts to investigate State oversight impartially, President Ali has guaranteed a transparent process. This fact alone should permanently silence GHK Lall and his echo chamber.

Yours truly,
Somar Sahadeo

References

COI into MV Barima tragedy: Commission to begin work today; over 100 witnesses expected to testify - Guyana Times

guyanatimesgy.com · 2026-10-07

COI into MV Barima tragedy: Commission to begin work today; over 100 witnesses expected to testify - Guyana Times # COI into MV Barima tragedy: Commission to begin work today; over 100 witnesses expected to testify October 7, 2026 #### The Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the MV Barima tragedy is set to commence its work on Wednesday, with the Commissioners expected to gather evidence and hear from witnesses as they seek to determine what led to the deadly incident. This was revealed by Attorney-at-Law and Secretary to the MV Barima CoI, Javid Shadick, during a press briefing held on Tuesday. He outlined the schedule for the commencement of the inquiry, which is set to begin on Wednesday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) at Liliendaal, where the Commission Secretariat is based. Proceedings will run from Mondays to Fridays, between 09:00h and 16:00h. Interpreters and counsellors will be available where necessary. The Commission has also announced the following schedule for its opening and family consultation sessions: On October 6, 2026, the CoI officially announced its commencement via a press conference. Today, October 7, the formal opening session of the Commission will take place, and, in the afternoon, consultation and meeting sessions will be held for families from Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) to meet directly with the Commission team at the ACCC at 13:00h. On October 12, the Commission team will travel to Region One to meet with families at the Kumaka Waterfront at 10:00h. On October 13, the Commission team will continue its engagements in Region One, meeting with families at the Port Kaituma Waterfront. At the press conference, it was also outlined that the Secretariat remains committed to providing support, guidance and logistical assistance to all families throughout the process. The five-member Commission is chaired by Belizean Justice Godfrey Phillip Smith. Its other members are Captain Hamada Fouda, Nyree Dawn Alfonso, Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Hayden Pritchard, and Dr Andrzej Jasionowski. #### Witnesses Meanwhile, Shadick informed us that only one survivor has so far contacted the Secretariat, expressing an intention to come forward to give evidence. “I would say now that not many persons have stepped forward. In fact, only one person has made contact with the Secretariat informing us of their intent to step forward,” he stated. However, more than 100 witnesses are expected to give evidence under the terms of reference, including first responders, officials, survivors, and families of those who perished. According to the Commission, the terms of reference have broadly categorised potential witnesses into three groups: first responders and officials, survivors, and families of those who perished. When asked by Journalists about the Terms of Reference (TOR), including the evaluation of the team of doctors assessing the group and how the Commission would address persons who are currently incarcerated, Shadick said those matters would be addressed by the commissioners. He noted that, as Secretary to the Commission, his role differs from that of the commissioners, adding that the TOR speaks specifically to the work of the commissioners. He said the questions raised would ultimately be addressed in the Commission’s report. “…so based so far on the TORs, we have kind of divided up types of witnesses. So we’re looking at persons who would have been first responders, officials, and survivors and families of those who would have perished. That is a very broad categorisation. The number of persons, I cannot say how much would be in each one, but our initial count, we’re looking at more than 100 witnesses.” ... Meanwhile, Shadick was also asked about the timeframe President Dr Irfaan Ali had given for the CoI, which was expected to span two ... extend beyond the two ... The MV Bar

Source

Untenable ‘suspicions’ equal a lot of lies in Guyana Times, October 13, 2026

MV Barima COI Chair Justice Godfrey Smith: Our Allegiance Is To The Law, Not Government - HGPTV - Guyana's Nightly News and Entertainment Channel

www.hgptv.com · 2026-10-08

LILIENDAAL, GREATER GEORGETOWN — Rejecting public skepticism regarding state influence over executive inquiries, Chairman of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the deadly MV Barima tragedy, Justice Godfrey P. Smith, declared unequivocally on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, that the five-member panel will not function as an arm of the Government. Delivering remarks at the formal opening ceremony of the inquiry at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), the eminent jurist emphasized that despite being empaneled by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, the Commission owes allegiance solely to the rule of law, procedural fairness, and sworn evidence. ... Addressing bereaved relatives, legal counsels, state officials, and observers, Justice Smith made clear that the tribunal’s findings will be shaped exclusively by verifiable facts rather than political expediency: - Separation from Executive Authority: Acknowledging that the Commission’s instrument of appointment originated from the Office of the President, Justice Smith drew a firm line between state appointment and judicial independence, stating that the Commission does not report to or answer to the executive administration. - Core Investigative Mandate: The Chairman stated that the tribunal’s primary duty is to reconstruct the exact chain of events aboard the vessel, assess what triggered the sinking, and establish who permitted critical safety or operational failures to occur. ... Justice Smith stressed that the CoI’s investigative purview extends beyond the immediate crew and the physical vessel, reaching deep into the bureaucratic architecture governing maritime transport in Guyana: - Institutional Accountability: The Commission will interrogate the wider safety, regulatory, and maritime oversight systems to evaluate whether systemic negligence, regulatory non-compliance, or lax enforcement by agencies like the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) contributed to the casualty. - Preventing Recurrence: A foundational pillar of the inquiry’s terms of reference is examining institutional culpability to ensure structural vulnerabilities are rectified so such a disaster is never repeated in Guyanese waters. > “To consider accountability… possibility of occurrence,” Justice Smith stated, summarizing the Commission’s responsibility to evaluate both fault and systemic reform. ... - Hinterland Fact- ... on-site inspection ... the wharves and affected families in Mabaruma and Port ... uma (Region One) is scheduled for early next week. - Public Testimonies: Formal evidentiary public hearings—led by Commission Counsels Arudranauth Gossai and Teni Housty, with more than 100 witnesses slated to take the stand—will officially commence on Wednesday, October 14, 2026.

Grieving relatives and survivors express lack of confidence in MV Barima Commission of Inquiry in face to face meeting - News Source Guyana

newssourcegy.com · 2026-10-07

# Grieving relatives and survivors express lack of confidence in MV Barima Commission of Inquiry in face ... meeting - News Source ... # Grieving relatives and survivors express lack of confidence in MV Barima Commission of Inquiry in face to face meeting By News Source Guyana on October 7, 2026 The members of the MV Commission of Inquiry may find themselves facing an uphill task in securing the trust of the families of the victims of the ferry tragedy. This afternoon the members of the long-awaited Commission of Inquiry met with grieving family members, survivors and others at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre ahead of next week’s start of the Commission’s public hearings. ... the delays could ... However, she also made it clear that the absence of the vessel will not hamper the work of the Commission, and the quality of its investigation. From the time of her appointment in July, Alfonso had recommended that the wreckage be retrieved. Weighing in on the query, Commissioner Dr Andrzej Jasionowski said the Commission as been assured that the Government will be moving to salvage the vessel. It was Dr Jasionowski who first announced during the meeting that BK International was contracted by the Government to salvage the wreckage. ... But the assurances of the Commission were not enough to allay the concerns of the families present. Royston Frank – the father of Rawle Frank, who was among the crew members who lost their lives in the accident, expressed disappointment that almost three months after the tragedy, the vessel has not been salvaged. ... Added to that, Frank told those present that there should be no COI until the vessel is salvaged. ... Dolly Cox, who lost her father Kenneth Cox expressed no confidence in the Commission and its work. The Opposition Leader also expressed his lack of confidence in the Commission, even after the assurances from the members of the Commission that they will conduct a thorough probe. (Svetlana Marshall)

MV Barima COI Chair Justice Godfrey Smith: Our Allegiance Is To The Law, Not Government - HGPTV - Guyana's Nightly News and Entertainment Channel