Three charged with 72 counts of murder in Guyana MV Barima tragedy

Guyana: Three senior crew members of MV Barima have been arrested following an indictment of 72 counts of murder in relation to the ferry tragedy which took place on July 18 and claimed the lives of several people.

The accused are 40-year-old Captain Kevin Price, 42-year-old Chief Mate Rondell Roberts, and 33-year-old Goods Superintendent Delon Granderson. They appeared before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman of the Georgetown Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, July 28.

The offenses are indictable, meaning the suspects can not enter a plea. Following the hearing, the suspects have been remanded into prison custody. The case will proceed in the Charity Magistrates' Court on August 3.

According to the police, the charges have been laid after receiving legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions following the investigation into the sinking of MV Barima.

The MV Barima capsized while sailing in the North-West Region of Guyana, from Georgetown to Port Kaituma. Authorities have confirmed that 76 people have been rescued, while 73 bodies have been recovered. Out of these, 68 victims have been identified with the majority sent to their families for proper burials.

Following the disaster, officials shared that some passengers were not listed on the vessel’s passenger manifest. Authorities also conducted drug tests, with the ferry’s caption and first engineer tested positive for narcotics.

During the court hearing, Captain Price got emotional and said that he shouldn't be charged with murder. The captain reported that the 87-year-old ship had several technical problems and lacked radar and Search and Rescue Transponders. He alleged that these problems were known to exist for years but never fixed.

In a recent press release, Prime Minister Mark Phillips said, “Search and recovery operations remain active, with 18 assets currently deployed in support of the operations. These comprise 3 aircraft and 15 vessels. The search area remains unchanged and continues west to Waini Point and east to Adventure. Maritime and aerial assets are maintaining continuous search operations across the designated area.”

Investigations of the sinking are ongoing as authorities attempt to identify the reasons behind one of the deadliest maritime disasters in Guyana.