MV Barima Captain and Crew Remanded on Murder Charges 

The captain of the MV Barima and two crew members have been jointly charged with murder over the ferry’s fatal capsizing and were remanded to prison. 

Those charged are 40-year-old Captain Kevin “KP” Price, 42-year-old Chief Mate Rondell Dwayne Roberts, and 33-year-old Goods Superintendent Delon Granderson. All three appeared before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman in Guyana today, where the charges were formally read. The men were not required to enter pleas and had no legal representation. 

The case has been adjourned to August 3rd. Police said the charges followed legal advice from Guyana’s Director of Public Prosecutions.

The MV Barima sank on July 18th while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma. Though the vessel carried no passenger manifest, it is believed to have had 179 people aboard. Guyanese authorities confirm 76 people were rescued, 73 have been confirmed dead, and 30 remain unaccounted for. 

According to Guyanese authorities, two crew members, including the captain, tested positive for marijuana. 

Guyana’s Prime Minister Irfaan Ali has since formed a five-person international commission of legal and maritime experts to investigate the disaster, which Belize’s Godfrey Philip Smith is set to chair. 

The MV Barima vessel now rests roughly 50 feet below the surface of the Atlantic, and officials say it is unlikely to be salvaged.