Mohamed to MV Barima COI: ‘Raise the Boat First!’ Questions Inquiry’s Credibility

Nearly three months after the MV Barima sank with dozens of people aboard, families learned for the first time on Wednesday that BK International may be brought in to salvage the vessel—a disclosure that drew sharp criticism from Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, who questioned why the wreck had not been raised much earlier.

Speaking at the Commission of Inquiry’s meeting with bereaved families and survivors at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, Mohamed said he had no confidence in the government or the inquiry, arguing that the prolonged delay in recovering the vessel could compromise the search for answers.

Mohamed, who used his private boat during the search and recovery operation and helped recover scores of bodies, told the commissioners he had offered to assist in raising the vessel just days after the disaster.