Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, yesterday, swore in Colonel (Retired) Windee Algernon as Chairman of the Board of Inquiry (BOI), which has been set up to probe the circumstances surrounding the accident, involving a boat that was provided under a presidential programme to get children to school.
Several schoolchildren were injured in the accident involving the ‘David G’ boat in the vicinity of River’s View, Cuyuni- Mazaruni (Region Seven) on March 14, 2018. A total of four persons were injured, a release from the Ministry of the Presidency said.
Harmon, in his remarks, noted that President David Granger has mandated that an inquiry be done into the matter. “It is required that you will look into the systems that were in place and whether in fact there had been any breaches of those systems. [You would also] have to look at whether there is a need for Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the ‘David G’ vessels.
I trust that you will utilise your best skills and ability to arrive at the conclusion and to make recommendations on how to prevent a reoccurrence and what needs to be done to ensure that we have a safe system of transportation,” he said.
According to the Terms of Reference (ToRs), the Board is required to investigate, examine, report and make recommendations on the causes, circumstances and conditions under which the accident took place and to determine whether any systematic or regulatory arrangements contributed to the accident and the extent to which, if at all, the Captain and the crew are liable.
The report is expected to be presented to Harmon on March 27, the release said.
