MV Barima: Captain and two crew charged with 72 murders after deadly ferry sinking

The captain and two others linked to the MV Barima disaster appeared in Georgetown court Tuesday on 72 murder charges. The vessel sank July 18, killing at least 73 people.

MV Barima captain, chief mate and loading superintendent face murder court

The captain of the sunken ferry MV Barima and two other men appeared before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, each charged with 72 counts of murder, thestkittsnevisobserver.com reports.

Captain Kevin Price, 40, chief mate Rondell Dwayne Roberts, 42, and Delon Granderson, 33 — the Loading Superintendent from the Transport and Harbours Department — were not required to enter pleas. All three were remanded to prison until August 3, 2026, when the matter will be heard at the Charity Court, the court of substantive jurisdiction.

The MV Barima sank on July 18, leaving at least 73 people dead and more than 30 others missing and feared dead. Police brought charges corresponding to the 72 bodies recovered at the time of the court appearance.

Captain breaks down in court

Price wept in the dock, insisting he should not bear criminal responsibility for the disaster. "I don't deserve this Father God, Father God you answer my prayers this morning, answer my prayers Father God, I don't deserve this please," he said. "Every body know that's an 87 year old vessel, the vessel got a lot of issues, the vessel don't have a radar, the vessel don't have a search and rescue transponder."

Price added that many of the deficiencies had been known since 2022.

Defence disputes speed and basis of charges

Attorney Dexter Todd, appearing on behalf of the three accused, told reporters outside court that the prosecution had cited overloading as a central factor in its narration of facts. "We listened to the prosecution narrate the facts in relation to why they were charged and who has what responsibility and that the boat was over loaded," Todd said.

He challenged that characterisation, pointing to a prior ministerial statement. "You had the Minister who is responsible for transport and harbours, came out and say on public television that the boat was not overloaded and that was so pronounced. And in every single press conference held by the Prime Minister, there was absolutely no indication that they found in addition to the loading manifest that they were able to establish the load of that boat," Todd said.

Todd questioned how prosecutors could establish the vessel's weight without recovering the wreck. "My thing is how do they hope to establish the weight of that boat," he said.

Commission of Inquiry concerns

The defence also raised doubts about the upcoming Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the tragedy. Todd argued that the police, by reaching a definitive conclusion so rapidly, had effectively pre-empted the COI's mandate. "The police have now done what the Commission of Inquiry is supposed to do and they have already come to a definitive conclusion on this matter," he said. "The complexity of this matter — you could not have completed an investigation in this matter in such a short time."

Todd suggested the charges may serve to keep the men in custody after two 72-hour detention extensions expired, rather than to advance a merits-based prosecution. He also raised the possibility that the imprisonment of Price could undermine the COI process itself. "The primary person who will have to talk is the captain of the vessel, who would have to appear before the COI. Now this man is in prison and that is what they hope to do, to drag him from prison in bangles and shackles before a COI," Todd said. He added that questions of sub judice could further complicate the inquiry.

The defence team said it would seek early disclosure of prosecution materials when the case returns on August 3 and intends to raise preliminary legal arguments. "This is a complete unfair and an injustice," Todd said.

Source: Google News GY — Crime