Commissioners inquiring into the dormitory fire that claimed 20 lives are to visit Mahdia and satellite communities and formal hearings are to begin in September.
This was disclosed yesterday by the Secretary of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI), Javed Shadick at a briefing.
The commissioners will be visiting the site of the tragedy which occurred on May 21st, 2023 for assessment and familiarization purposes. Micobie, Chena-pau, and Karisparu all located in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) are among the communities slated to be visited by the CoI team. The deceased hailed from these communities.
It was disclosed that Keoma Griffith has been appointed counsel of the CoI.
Asked if all the witnesses would be present at the public hearings which are expected to be held in Georgetown, Shadick said that while he is hopeful for this, some witnesses have indicated a preference to testify in the comfort of their communities.
According to Shadick this was relayed to him by Chairman of the CoI Major General (retired) Joseph Singh.
In relation to language barriers, since many of the witnesses hail from indigenous communities where the native language is spoken, an interpreter would be provided.
Asked if the schoolgirl accused of committing arson at the Mahdia Secondary School dorm would appear before the CoI, Shadick said that he was in no position to offer a comment in that regard.
“Usually at CoI’s a person charged or accused of an offence is allowed to testify but, in this case, I would not be able to say at this point if that would happen, so I prefer not to comment at this point”, he said.
The Terms of Reference (TOR) published on August 15th, 2023 mandates the newly appointed commissioners to: (1) inquire and report on the events and circumstances leading up to and causes of the Mahdia dorm fire on the night of May 20th, 2023. (2) inquire into and report upon the actions taken to provide swift care, medical attention and other forms of support and aid to families of the injured and deceased victims and (3) make recommendations and observations as may be deemed fit which includes measures and actions that the commission may consider necessary to prevent recurrences of such tragedy.
In the days after the fire, it became known that the Mahdia fire service had made recommendations twice for protective grills on the dorm to be removed to no avail. It was also later learnt that a report commissioned by the Ministry of Education to assess dorms had found that fire safety measures were absent at the Mahdia Secondary School girls’ dorm. That report was available in May, 2022.
President Irfaan Ali on August 10 appointed Major General (retired) Singh, who will chair the inquiry, and attorney at law Dr. Kim Kyte-Thomas and National Toshaos Commission Chairman Derrick John who took their oaths before Chief Magistrate (ag) Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus
According to the ToR, the Commission will render its report, findings and recommendations to the President in writing within two months or within such other time as may be directed by the President, and conduct the inquiry continually at Georgetown and Mahdia or in any such other places as determined by the Commission.
The May 20 fire claimed the lives of Sherana Daniels, twin sisters Mary and Martha Dandrade, Bibi Rita Jeffrey, Sabrina John, Loreen Evans, Belnisa Evans, Omefia Edwin, Natalie Bellarmine, Andrea Roberts, Lorita Williams, Nickleen Robinson, Sherena Daniels, Eulanda Carter, Lisa Roberts, Cleoma Simon, Tracil Thomas, and sisters Delecia Edwards and Arianna Edwards along with five-year-old Adonijah Jerome, the son of the caretaker.
Meanwhile, the girl who was badly burnt in the Mahdia dormitory fire on May 20 has been discharged from Staten Island Hospital, New York City, after a three-month recuperation under specialist care.
