HGP Nightly News – The captain and crew of the MV Barima must not become the easiest people to blame while broader institutional failures remain unexamined, the Vigilant Political Action Committee has warned.
VPAC is calling for an immediate review of the continued detention of Captain Kevin Pryce and other crew members as the country awaits a full investigation into the maritime disaster.
“Justice requires that accountability follow the evidence, not convenience,” the organisation said.
VPAC stressed that a captain does not operate a vessel in isolation. Every voyage depends on decisions made before the ship leaves the wharf, some by people who never set foot aboard.
Those decisions include whether the vessel is fit for service, properly maintained and adequately equipped. They also involve regulatory inspections, emergency planning and the approval of its continued operation.
According to VPAC, those wider issues must be examined before blame is concentrated solely on Pryce and his crew.
The organisation pointed to public questions surrounding the MV Barima’s maintenance history, previous repairs, loading practices, life-saving equipment and transportation of government cargo.
It also cited concerns about the state’s search-and-recovery response, including the availability of aircraft and the reported reliance on fishermen, private boat owners and other civilians.
None of those concerns, by themselves, establishes negligence or criminal responsibility. VPAC said they nevertheless demand careful investigation by competent and independent experts.
“If those allegations have merit, responsibility for this tragedy cannot rest solely upon the shoulders of the captain and crew,” it said.
VPAC expressed concern that the criminal investigation involving crew members appeared to be moving ahead before the promised Commission of Inquiry had established the broader facts.
The organisation acknowledged that the criminal justice system must operate independently. It warned, however, that police proceedings should not become a substitute for examining possible failures in maritime regulation, administration and political oversight.
A Commission of Inquiry and a criminal investigation serve different purposes and may proceed simultaneously. Criminal investigators determine whether evidence supports charges against specific individuals, while an inquiry can examine systemic failures and recommend wider reforms.
VPAC said both processes must follow the evidence wherever it leads.
It listed several questions it believes investigators must answer: Who certified the vessel as seaworthy? Who approved its continued operation? Who was responsible for maintenance and inspections? Who ensured that life-saving equipment met the required standards? And who was responsible for maintaining an effective search-and-rescue capability?
“These questions extend far beyond the actions of any individual crew member,” the organisation said.
VPAC also raised concerns about reports regarding Pryce’s mental well-being while in custody.
Those reports have not been independently verified. The organisation said that regardless of the allegations against him, Pryce was entitled to humane treatment, appropriate medical care and the full protection of the law.
Neither Pryce nor any other detained crew member should be treated as guilty unless convicted by a court, VPAC stressed.
“The poor and the powerless must not become convenient scapegoats while those responsible for policy, regulation, procurement, oversight and administration escape meaningful scrutiny,” it said.
VPAC called for the legal and constitutional rights of all detained crew members to be respected and for any concerns about their health to be addressed immediately.
It also urged investigators to pursue accountability “whether on the bridge of the vessel or in the highest offices responsible for Guyana’s maritime safety system.”
For VPAC, the families of those who died deserve more than a prosecution built around the most accessible suspects. They deserve an investigation that identifies every failure and everyone responsible.
“The families of the victims deserve the whole truth, not merely the easiest defendants,” the organisation said.
