GEORGETOWN, Guyana – October 19, 2026 – A Guyanese magistrate has ruled that criminal murder proceedings against three senior crew members of the sunken MV Barima ferry can move forward in lower court, rejecting defense arguments that overlapping investigations would constitute an abuse of judicial process.
Magistrate Ravindra Mohabir delivered his ruling on Monday, confirming that the magistrate’s court has the authority to continue with preliminary proceedings against Captain Kevin Price, 40, Chief Mate Rondell Dwayne Roberts, 42, and Transport and Harbours Department goods superintendent Delon Granderson, 33. All three men are jointly charged with the murder of 76 people who died when the MV Barima capsized and sank roughly 9 to 10 nautical miles off Guyana’s Essequibo Coast on July 18, 2026.
In his ruling, Magistrate Mohabir stated, “I say, therefore, and this is my ruling, that it is not an abuse of process to have these proceedings conducted in this court.” The court has scheduled the start of the preliminary paper committal process for November 16, 2026. On December 14 at 10 a.m., the court will rule on whether there is sufficient evidence to commit the three accused to a full jury trial before the High Court.
The defense team, led by Dr. Dexter Todd representing Price and Granderson, and Everton Singh-Lammy representing Roberts, had argued that the Guyana Shipping Act outlines a specific statutory investigation framework for maritime incidents, and that ongoing parallel Commission of Inquiry (COI) convened by the presidency made the magistrate’s court proceedings improper. Defense counsel contended that a statutorily defined inquiry court should have been convened first under the terms of the Shipping Act, and that initiating criminal proceedings in magistrate’s court ahead of that process amounted to an abuse of process.
Prosecutors pushed back against these claims, countering that no provision of the Shipping Act blocks the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) from filing murder charges and moving forward with a paper committal proceeding. Prosecutors noted that the DPP derives her authority directly from Guyana’s Constitution, which grants the office the power to initiate criminal proceedings against any individual. They further argued that the magistrate’s court, established by statute, is required to follow the procedures outlined in the Paper Committal Act, under which these proceedings were filed, and is obligated to adhere to the requirements of that legislation.
Prior to issuing his ruling, Magistrate Mohabir clarified that the court’s core responsibility at this stage is to assess whether the prosecution has presented enough evidence to justify committing the accused to trial on the murder charges, or if evidence is insufficient to justify continuing the case.
The upcoming paper committal phase will focus on reviewing documentary evidence and witness statements to determine if there is a prima facie case against the three defendants. If the court rules that sufficient evidence exists, the case will move to a full public trial before a High Court judge and jury.