MV Barima tragedy: 3 accused further remanded; paper committal set for Nov 16

The three Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) employees charged with murder over the MV Barima tragedy were further remanded to prison on Monday, as the court set November 16 for the commencement of paper committal proceedings. The matter was heard before Magistrate Ravindra Mohabir at the Charity Magistrate’s Court, where the prosecution confirmed that it had completed full disclosure of its case to the defence.

The accused were all members of the MV Barima’s crew on July 18, the day of the fatal tragedy. They are captain Kevin Price, called “KP”, 40, of Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara (ECD); chief mate Rondell Dwayne Roberts, 42, of Grove Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD); and goods superintendent Delon Granderson, 33, of Fellowship, West Coast Demerara (WCB). They appeared virtually via Zoom. Senior Police Legal Advisor and Attorney-at-Law Mandel Moore, who is prosecuting the case, told the court that all evidence and material information gathered by the State had been disclosed. The defence was then granted seven days to review the material and determine whether statements would be filed on behalf of the accused. Magistrate Mohabir gave the defence until September 14 to indicate whether it intends to file statements. If statements are filed, they must be submitted within 45 days, with October 19 set as the deadline. The matter will return to court on September 14, while the accused remain on remand. Paper committal proceedings, which involve the court examining written evidence to determine whether there is sufficient basis for an accused to stand trial in the High Court, are scheduled to begin on November 16.

Attorney-at-Law Dr Dexter Todd heads the legal team representing Price and Granderson, with Attorney Dexter Smartt also appearing for the two. Roberts is represented by Attorney Everton Lammy-Singh. The three were jointly charged with murder following legal advice from Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC. They first appeared before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on July 28, where they were not required to plead to the indictable charge before being remanded to prison. The matter was subsequently transferred to the Charity Magistrate’s Court. Police alleged that the three employees murdered passengers aboard the MV Barima when the vessel capsized on Saturday, July 18, 2026, approximately 9.3 nautical miles off Devonshire Castle on the Essequibo Coast. The passenger and cargo ferry had departed the Kingston Goods Wharf in Georgetown at about 15:15h on its scheduled voyage to Port Kaituma. However, at about 23:01h, the vessel transmitted a distress signal after encountering difficulties off the Essequibo Coast near the mouth of the Pomeroon River. A total of 179 people, including 18 crew members, were onboard. The disaster claimed 73 lives, while 76 people survived and approximately 30 remain unaccounted for. The joint murder charge identifies 68 victims, along with other persons unknown. A day after the tragedy, Prime Minister (PM) Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips disclosed that two crew members, including the captain, had tested positive for cannabis sativa (marijuana). President Dr Irfaan Ali has established a five-member Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to examine, among other things, the circumstances surrounding the sinking, regulatory oversight and the emergency response. Meanwhile, DPP Ali has maintained that the CoI will not interfere with the criminal proceedings, noting that both processes can proceed simultaneously.