Court to Decide Whether MV Barima Murder Charges Can Proceed

A key legal challenge in the criminal case arising from the deadly sinking of the MV Barima will come into focus next month, with Magistrate Ravindra Mohabir set to rule on whether the murder charges against three crew members constitute an “abuse of process.”

Mohabir, sitting at the Charity Magistrate’s Court, has fixed October 19 for his ruling following arguments over whether police were entitled to pursue a criminal investigation before the completion of a marine accident investigation required under the Shipping Act.

The three accused are 40-year-old MV Barima captain Kevin Price, 42-year-old chief mate Rondell Dwayne Roberts, and 33-year-old goods superintendent Delon Granderson. They face multiple murder charges arising from the July 18 disaster, following legal advice from Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC.