Three employees of the Transport and Harbours Department charged with murder over the sinking of the MV Barima will face a paper committal hearing on November 16, magistrates confirmed this week. The scheduling marks a significant step forward in a case that has drawn intense public scrutiny since the vessel went down off the Essequibo Coast in July, killing dozens of passengers.
The development came during a hearing at the Charity Magistrate's Court, presided over by Magistrate Ravindra Mohabir. The Senior Police Legal Advisor told the court that the prosecution had completed disclosure of all evidence and material information to the defence, clearing a procedural hurdle that had delayed the case's progress toward trial.
Magistrate Mohabir has given the defence until September 14 to indicate whether they intend to file statements on behalf of the accused. Should they choose to do so, the defence will be granted a 45-day window to prepare and submit those statements before the committal hearing proceeds. The timeline gives lawyers for the three men several weeks to review the disclosed material and determine their approach to the case.
The men facing charges are Kevin Price, 40, who served as captain of the MV Barima, Rondell Dwayne Roberts, 42, the chief mate, and Delon Granderson, 33, who held the position of goods superintendent aboard the vessel. All three are jointly charged with an indictable murder offence, a decision taken on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions following an investigation into the circumstances of the sinking.
When the men first appeared in court in Georgetown in late July, they were not required to enter a plea. That step will come later in proceedings, once the committal process has run its course. In the meantime, all three remain remanded in prison, where they have been held since their initial appearance.
The charges stem from the sinking of the MV Barima on July 18, when the vessel went down approximately 9.3 nautical miles off the Essequibo Coast, near Devonshire Castle. The prosecution's case alleges that actions taken by the three crew members directly resulted in the deaths of 68 named passengers, with an unknown additional number of people also believed to have perished in the disaster.
The scale of the loss of life has made the sinking one of the deadliest maritime incidents in the country's recent history, and the case has since become a focal point for questions about vessel safety standards and the responsibilities of transport officials operating passenger ferries along the coast. Families of those who died have followed the legal proceedings closely, with many attending earlier court appearances.
The paper committal process, which allows a magistrate to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to send a case to trial without the need for witnesses to give oral testimony, is expected to shape the next phase of proceedings. Should the magistrate find that a case has been made out, the three men would then be committed to stand trial in the High Court, where they would formally enter pleas to the murder charges.
Legal observers have noted that the completion of evidence disclosure removes one of the primary obstacles that can delay committal hearings, and the September 14 deadline for the defence's response is likely to determine how quickly the case can move forward from here. Whether the defence opts to file statements, and how they use the 45 days available to them if they do, will shape the pace of proceedings heading into November.
For now, the three men remain in custody as both prosecution and defence prepare for the next stage of a case that has kept the country's attention fixed on the aftermath of one of its worst maritime tragedies in recent memory.
