Civil Society Groups Challenge $1.03B MV Barima Salvage Contract, Demand Forensic Recovery

A coalition of Guyanese civil society organisations is challenging the Government’s award of a $1.034 billion contract to BK International Inc. to salvage the sunken MV Barima, alleging that none of the three bidders met the stated experience requirements and warning that the recovery could compromise evidence needed to determine the cause of the July 18 disaster.

At a press conference on Wednesday, the coalition demanded that the government immediately source a specialist salvage company capable of recovering the vessel while preserving potential forensic evidence.

Full coveragePresident Ali Defends MV Barima Salvage Review as Questions Over Disaster Persist68 reports

The groups include the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), Transparency International Guyana Inc. (TIGI), Red Thread, the Guyanese Organisation of Indigenous Peoples (GOIP) and the Oil and Gas Governance Network (OGGN), among other civil society actors.