Attorney-at-law Darren Wade has declared that President Irfaan Ali—not Public Works Minister Juan Edghill—bears the ultimate constitutional responsibility for the MV Barima catastrophe, accusing the Government of presiding over a system that has repeatedly failed to prevent avoidable national tragedies.

In a strongly worded statement issued as Guyana continues to mourn the victims of the country’s deadliest maritime disaster in decades, Wade said attempts to focus public attention on the ferry’s captain or crew miss the central issue: why an ageing state-owned vessel remained in operation despite longstanding concerns about its condition.

The MV Barima capsized late on Saturday, July 18, while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, sinking approximately 10 nautical miles off the Essequibo Coast. The vessel’s official manifest listed 116 passengers and 17 crew members, for a total of 133 people. However, authorities later acknowledged the manifest was inaccurate, with officials estimating that as many as 179 people were actually aboard after dozens of survivors were found not to have been listed. As of Wednesday, 57 bodies had been recovered and 77 people rescued, leaving dozens still unaccounted for as recovery efforts continued.