– report expected within 2 months as ToR released
The much-anticipated Commission of Inquiry (CoI) probing the Mahdia dorm tragedy officially opens today, with the Terms of Reference (ToR) having been released to the public on Monday. It shows that the inquiry will last for up to two months unless extended by the President.
President Ali recently appointed retired Major General Joe Singh as Chairman and Attorney-at-Law Kim Kyte-Thomas and Chairman of the National Toshaos Council (NTC) Derrick John as Commissioners. Also, Attorney-at-Law Javed Shadick will serve as the commission’s Secretary.
The ToR details that the commission will inquire into and report on everything leading up to the dormitory fire that claimed the lives of 20 juveniles back in May, as well as the causes of the fire.
They will also investigate and report on what actions were taken to provide care, medical attention, and support to the injured and deceased and their relatives, in a timely manner. Recommendations are also expected from the commission, which will include necessary measures to prevent a reoccurrence of such tragedies.
“I direct that you, Major General Ret’d Joseph Govinda Singh, shall be the Chairman of the commission. And I direct that the Chairman and other Commissioners shall constitute a quorum. And I direct that the commission shall 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,” the ToR further states.
Further, the inquiry will be done at Georgetown, from the commission’s Middle Street office, and Mahdia or any other places the commission determines. It will also be held in public, though the commission reserves the right to exclude anyone deemed fit for the preservation of order or any other reason.
The ToR further states that the commission will establish and regulate itself in accordance with the relevant laws and that officers of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) will ensure the safety and preservation of order during the proceedings.
It was only a couple of weeks ago that the members of the CoI took their Oath of Office before Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Office of the President in Georgetown. At the swearing-in ceremony, President Dr Irfaan Ali noted that the CoI represents a crucial step towards understanding and healing from this horrific incident.
The President had further noted that the CoI was sworn in at this time to allow for a more conducive environment, given the immediate mental toll the event had taken on community members.
Last month, the Government announced that in addition to medical and mental health support, they would also be providing $5 million each to families of the 20 children who died in the fire, an initiative that the President clarified will not hinder the work of the CoI. It came on the heels of President Dr Irfaan Ali pledging full compensation to the aggrieved families when he engaged family members after the fire.
In the Agreement, Government pledged to continue to offer such support as may be necessary to the victims and their families. Given that public monies are being expended, and recognising that these expenditures will have to be transparently accounted for, the agreements were reduced into writing.
In the early hours of May 22, the fire had already ripped through the Mahdia school dormitory after being maliciously set by a 15-year-old student. The facility housed about 59 students from the communities of Karisparu, El Paso, Micobie and Chenapau. Information from the Guyana Fire Service indicated that 14 youths died at the scene of the fire, while six died at Mahdia District Hospital.
Initial reports indicated that the teenage accused threatened to set the place on fire after her cell phone was confiscated and more so after she was previously suspended for engaging in activities contrary to the rules of the institution.
The girls who perished in the fire are Subrina John, Belnisa Evans, Loreen Evans, Bibi Rita Fiona Jeffrey, Lisa Roberts, Tracil Thomas, Delecia Edwards, Lorita Williams, Natalie Bellarmine, Arianna Edwards, Cleoma Simon, Martha Dandrade, Mary Dandrade, Omerfia Edwin, Nickleen Robinson, Sherlyn Bellarmine, Eulander Carter, Andrea Roberts and Sherana Daniels. Adanye Jerome, the five-year-old son of the dorm’s mother, was also among those who passed.
