On Sunday evening, August 2, 2026, dozens of supporters including family members, friends, and local residents gathered outside the Grove, East Bank Demerara home of Rondell Dwayne Roberts, the first mate of the sunken Guyanese ferry MV Barima, to stage a solidarity demonstration. The 42-year-old father of three, along with two other marine and transport officials, is currently facing 72 counts of murder in connection with the July 18 sinking that has been linked to an estimated 102 unconfirmed fatalities out of 179 total passengers and crew on board. Protesters argue the charges against the trio are fabricated to deflect blame from senior government officials who they claim bear ultimate responsibility for the disaster.
Protesters carried hand-painted placards bearing slogans calling for transparency, accountability, and the immediate release of all three accused men. Beyond calling for Roberts’ exoneration, demonstrators also demanded justice for vessel captain Kevin “KP” Price, 40, of Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara, and Delon Granderson, 33, a Transport and Harbours Department goods superintendent based in Fellowship, West Coast Demerara. Additional slogans pressed officials to salvage the sunken ferry to retrieve submerged evidence, called for the dismissal of senior government leaders linked to maritime oversight, and highlighted the need for closure for the families of both the accused and the victims.
One close friend of Roberts told Demerara Waves Online News that the entire community is convinced he has been wrongfully accused and wrongfully imprisoned. A female friend of the first mate reiterated that sentiment, stressing that accountability must start with the senior government officials in charge of maritime regulation and safety. “They just can’t put all the blame on a low-level employee. That is plain injustice, and all the critical evidence is still sitting at the bottom of the water,” she stated.
Dr Dexter Todd, the attorney representing the accused, confirmed last week that he intends to file a legal challenge disputing the legality of the murder charges. Picket participant Morti also forcefully refuted unconfirmed reports that Roberts had tested positive for marijuana use while on duty aboard the ferry. “This boy does not smoke or drink. He would only drink a Vita Malt, he doesn’t even smoke cigarettes,” Morti said. “He never got out of bed that morning to go to work and kill anyone.”
Supporters of the accused uniformly back the plan to salvage the MV Barima from its resting place nine miles offshore, arguing that retrieving the vessel is the only way to uncover conclusive evidence of what caused the sinking and identify all parties responsible, including senior government decision-makers. “The proof of what happened is right there on that boat,” one friend of Roberts explained. “Bring it up so everyone can see the evidence. If the evidence from the vessel proves they are guilty, then justice will be served. But right now, we’re being denied that proof.” Morti went a step further, proposing that once salvaged, the ferry could be brought ashore and converted into a permanent memorial to honor the lives lost during the voyage from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, instead of constructing a memorial at sea.
Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Hack has defended the decision to bring charges, stating that her office recommended prosecuting the three men based on submitted evidence, binding legal principles, relevant case law from the United Kingdom, Commonwealth jurisdictions, and the European Court of Human Rights, as well as broader public policy considerations.
Sunday’s demonstration marks the third public protest held in support of the accused in recent weeks, with previous rallies taking place in Melanie Damishana and Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara. Separately on Sunday, Deodat Indar, the minister responsible for maritime administration, confirmed that he had received intelligence that opposition supporters were planning a separate protest outside his personal residence.
Multiple opposition groups including We Invest in Nationhood, A Partnership for National Unity, and Forward Guyana Movement, alongside the Amerindian People’s Association and other civil society activists, are currently calling for Indar and the country’s minister of maritime transportation to resign or be removed from office over the disaster. In response to growing public pressure, President Irfaan Ali has already taken two formal steps to investigate the incident: he has appointed a five-member Commission of Inquiry to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the sinking, and assembled a specialized technical team to review existing safety and compliance standards for all vessels operating in Guyana’s waters. The technical review team includes former Maritime Administration Department Director-General Dr. Ivor English, Guyana Defense Force Colonel Julius Skeete, and experienced marine officer and ship surveyor Captain Joseph Lewis.