team to visit community today

THE public hearing of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the devastating Mahdia dorms fire, which claimed the lives of 20 children, is set to begin next month.
This announcement was made by the CoI’s Secretary, Javed Shaddick, during a media briefing, on Tuesday.
Chaired by retired Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Major General Joe Singh, alongside Derrick John, Chairman of the National Toshaos’ Council (NTC), and Attorney-at-law Kim Kyte-Thomas, the CoI is embarking on a journey to seek the truth behind this heart-wrenching tragedy.
As part of their preparations, the CoI team is scheduled to embark on a familiarisation visit to Mahdia on Wednesday, August 23.
Shaddick told reporters that this visit aims to provide the commissioners with an in-depth understanding of the area, local communities, and pertinent aspects crucial to the investigation.

The team will visit Karisparu, El Paso, Micobie, and Chenapao, all villages where the young victims resided.
Shaddick pointed out that the public hearing is expected to commence in September once other preliminary matters are addressed.
Witnesses have already been notified, and the CoI’s Terms of Reference (ToR) stipulate that the inquiry will span up to two months, with a possibility of extension by the President if deemed necessary.

Given the sensitivity of the case, the Guyana Chronicle understands that a location for the hearing is still being considered, since the safety and wellbeing of the witnesses is top priority.
Ovid Williams, a respected figure in the promotion of indigenous languages and culture from the Patamona tribes, will assist the commission with translation, ensuring that cultural nuances are accurately conveyed.

Given that children are central to this tragedy, the CoI will adhere to the strict guidelines of the Juvenile Justice Act and other relevant regulations.
“This inquiry is a little different from the last one [Elections CoI] and we have to be very careful of how we deal with it because children are being looked at and we have to protect the rights of the child at all times.

“Even though it is a public inquiry, and the public has a right to know, there are safeguards against what can be done and what cannot be done,” Shaddick said.
As a result, the CoI plans to conduct in-camera hearings for the victims to mitigate any potential trauma.

Last month, the government took steps to alleviate the suffering of the victims’ families by announcing financial assistance of $5 million each.
This compassionate initiative, according to the President, will not impede the CoI’s work. President, Dr. Irfaan Ali had previously assured aggrieved family members of full compensation in the aftermath of the fire.

These commitments were formalised in written agreements to ensure transparency in the allocation of public funds.
In the agreement, the government pledged to continue to offer such support as may be necessary to the victims and their families.
Given that public funds are being expended, and recognising that these expenditures will have to be transparently accounted for, the agreements were translated into writing.
On May 22, the country was plunged into mourning after a fire that authorities said was maliciously set, ravaged a secondary school girls’ dormitory in Mahdia.
At the time of the fire, 56 of the girls were present, as three had gone home to their families for the weekend.

The children housed at the ‘dorms’ came from the communities of Karisparu, El Paso, Micobie, and Chenapao.
Initially, 18 girls from the ‘dorm’ and a five-year-old boy, who was the son of the ‘Dorm Mother’, perished in the fire, but another student who was injured in the fire, passed away a few days later.

Several of the survivors were airlifted to Georgetown for emergency care. One critically injured girl was medevacked to a New York health facility for further treatment, and has been released.

Meanwhile, a 15-year-old student has been remanded to a juvenile facility on 20 counts of murder.