Barima COI: sham, show or the real thing

Oct 23, 2026 Editorial, News

(Kaieteur News) – The Commission of Inquiry (COI) into one of this nation’s biggest tragedy started as a sham. In the period since, it became a show. A sham and show, even when 73 are officially dead, and dozens more also believed dead. The government decided to give the people what they want: a COI. The concern is what kind they are getting.

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The COI started as though it is some sleazy affair. The swearing-in conducted behind closed doors, as though that helped grieving families and a distressed nation, with the media barred. With that as the beginning, few citizens have high expectations for the ending. The COI took its time to get going, as though it was a cruise ship that had to make courtesy stops, if only to prove that it exists and it has substance. What the members of the COI heard so far from family members would shock any honest person, any principled group, to pursue the facts, so that the families believe they got some semblance of justice. So, they can try to close a terrible chapter in their lives. From its own mouth, the COI has assured citizens that it will follow the facts wherever they lead, and regardless of who is involved.