Belize jurist to head inquiry into MV Barima tragedy

What this source establishes

Reports the five-member Commission of Inquiry named on 26 July, independently of the Guyana Chronicle, and states it was appointed under Section 2(1) of the Commissions of Inquiry Act. Sets out each commissioner's stated background, and reports previously published matters concerning three of them, each without a finding of wrongdoing. States that questions raised locally about a possible conflict of interest affecting one commissioner were unanswered at press time.

Key claims

• CORROBORATION: second independent source naming all five commissioners, alongside the Guyana Chronicle of 26 July
• GAP CLOSED: the commission was appointed under Section 2(1) of the Commissions of Inquiry Act - the site previously recorded that no statutory basis had been cited by the President
• Chair Godfrey P. Smith previously served as a commissioner examining Guyana's disputed 2020 General and Regional Elections
• Dr Andrzej Jasionowski's prior casualty work includes the MV Estonia, MV Derbyshire and MV Sewol disasters
• Capt. Hamada Fouda has led marine casualty investigations since 2019 under the IMO Casualty Investigation Code - relevant to the joint opposition's demand for an investigation to that standard
• OPEN QUESTION raised by the outlet: whether Capt. Fouda has a Guyanese relative associated with a marine entity with MARAD ties, unanswered at press time; the outlet states such ties would be a conflict of interest
• Reported allegations concerning Smith, Alfonso and Pritchard were each resolved without a finding of wrongdoing against them; Alfonso's case was dismissed in September 2023 with costs awarded to her
• The President's appointment is characterised as pre-empting APNU MP Terrence Campbell's Standing Order 12 motion

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