Walton Challenges Legal Basis for MV Barima Safety Exemption, Demands Answers

Member of Parliament and attorney-at-law Amanza Walton has challenged the legal basis for exempting the MV Barima from passenger ship safety certification, arguing that the Commission of Inquiry must establish whether the vessel was surveyed and legally cleared to carry passengers before it sailed.

In a statement dated October 24, Walton, who is a maritime lawyer, said she submitted legal arguments to the Commission on October 23, following a Department of Public Information (DPI) report the previous day stating that government-operated ferries, including the Barima, “do not require certificates of seaworthiness to operate”. The position was attributed to the Commission’s counsel.

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Walton said she had asked the Commission to clarify whether it had made a determination on the issue and to hear submissions from interested parties before reaching a conclusion.