The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) has raised concerns over the decision to charge three Transport and Harbours Department employees with 72 counts of murder in connection with the MV Barima tragedy, warning that the search for accountability must not come at the expense of the rule of law or the rights of the accused.
In a statement issued this week, the human rights body said it is closely monitoring public exchanges between defence attorneys and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) over the unprecedented charges, which were filed before the completion of the official investigations into the disaster.
Captain Kevin Price, 40, Chief Mate Rondell Dwayne Roberts, 42, and Goods Superintendent Delon Granderson, 33, appeared before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, where the indictable charges were read to them. They were not required to plead and were remanded to prison. The matter has since been transferred to the Charity Magistrate’s Court and adjourned to August 3.
The charges stem from the July 18 sinking of the state-owned MV Barima, which capsized while sailing from Georgetown to Port Kaituma. The Government initially reported that the vessel was carrying 116 passengers and 17 crew members, but later revised the number on board to 179. The exact number of persons aboard remains uncertain, a situation compounded by the Government’s decision not to raise the vessel from the seabed.
The Government has confirmed 76 survivors, while 53 bodies have been recovered. One survivor has since died, and several passengers remain unaccounted for, making the disaster one of the deadliest maritime tragedies in Guyana’s history.
While the Government has established a partisan five-member international Commission of Inquiry to examine the tragedy, it has not stated whether it will also conduct a formal maritime casualty investigation. Such investigations are internationally recognised technical inquiries designed to determine the causes of a marine accident, identify systemic safety failures, preserve evidence and recommend measures to prevent similar disasters. Their primary purpose is to improve maritime safety rather than assign criminal or civil liability.
Against that backdrop, the GHRA said the combination of the criminal charges and the Commission of Inquiry creates the impression that the Government is seeking to demonstrate decisive action.
“The GHRA is carefully following the statements of Defence Counsel and of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) regarding the seventy-two murder charges brought against three accused persons in the MV Barima tragedy,” the organisation said.
It continued, “Lawyers for the accused have raised the points of intent and of protection against self-incrimination and the DPP has come out with a statement. When taken in conjunction with the announced Commission of Enquiry, the filing of murder charges appear intended to show that the government is taking massive action.”
The association stressed that determining the truth behind the sinking—not simply securing prosecutions—must remain the overriding objective.
“The GHRA would like to stress the importance of observing the rule of law in everything that is done in pursuit of the truth about the sinking of the MV Barima with its extensive loss of life; the imperative need to ascertain the facts, underlying causes, and corrective measures required.”
It also underscored the need to safeguard the legal rights of those charged.
“Against this background, the GHRA is particularly alert to the importance of respecting and protecting the rights of the accused.”
Beyond the legal proceedings, the organisation urged the Government to pursue a more inclusive approach in responding to the national tragedy.
“The GHRA would also like to underline the importance of the ruling party showing inclusiveness towards the Opposition in the aftermath of the disaster. Wisdom and justice demand this.”
The murder charges have generated widespread debate among legal practitioners, political opposition, civil society and governance advocate organisations, the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) and maritime professionals, many of whom have questioned whether criminal proceedings should have commenced before the completion of an independent maritime casualty investigation and the Commission of Inquiry.
