Rather than accepting responsibility for the deadly sinking of the state-owned MV Barima, the Government is attempting to shield senior officials by prosecuting frontline workers for murder, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) charged on Friday, calling for the resignation of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar.

The statement, read by APNU Leader Aubrey Norton, whose partnership holds 12 seats in the National Assembly, was delivered at a press conference where the opposition coalition argued that Captain Kevin Price, Chief Mate Rondel Roberts, and Goods Superintendent Delon Granderson were being turned into “scapegoats” for what it described as a catastrophic breakdown of a government-controlled maritime system.

“The Government cannot escape responsibility by charging workers with murder,” APNU declared.