By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News|
DEN AMSTEL, WEST COAST DEMERARA — Tensions and public outcry continue to swell across West Demerara as residents of Den Amstel took to the public road on Wednesday to protest the decision to charge three senior Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) crew members with 72 counts of murder following the July 18 capsizing of the M.V. Barima.
The demonstration was staged in strong solidarity with 33-year-old Goods Superintendent Delon Granderson—a native of the West Coast Demerara area—alongside Captain Kevin Price and Chief Mate Rondell Dwayne Roberts. All three men were remanded to prison on Tuesday after appearing before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Protesters Demand Justice and Challenge Premature Prosecution
Placard-bearing residents gathered along the Den Amstel Public Road, chanting “Jail the criminals, free the innocent!” and calling the capital charges a rush to judgment designed to shield higher-level regulatory officials.
[ DEN AMSTEL COMMUNITY DEMANDS ]
│
┌───────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼
[ Defense of Local Crew ] [ Calls for Executive Liability ]
- Solidary with Goods Supt. Delon Granderson - Resignation of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill
- Demand for fair & transparent COI process - Resignation of Minister Deodat Indar
- Assertion that capital charges are premature - Systematic audit of Transport & Harbours Department
Demonstrators argued that charging frontline workers with murder—before the newly established five-member international Commission of Inquiry (COI) led by Justice Godfrey Smith has even commenced hearings—is deeply unjust:
- Systemic Failure vs. Crew Responsibility: Protesters emphasized that an 87-year-old vessel’s structural condition, loading procedures, and overall maritime oversight fall squarely under ministerial jurisdiction rather than individual shipboard staff.
- Resignation Demands: Protesters directed intense criticism at the administration, renewing calls for the immediate resignation of Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill and Minister Deodat Indar.
- Calls for Transparency: Placards displayed slogans such as “Free Delon Granderson,” “Wrongly Accused, Wrongly Judged,” and “Murder for what?” as residents urged authorities to focus on systemic reforms rather than premature prosecution.
Parallel Legal and Public Debates
The demonstration in Den Amstel coincided with similar picketing exercises across East Coast Demerara (at Melanie Damishana) and outside the Office of the President in Georgetown, highlighting nationwide division over the government’s handling of Guyana’s deadliest maritime tragedy.
With Captain Price, Roberts, and Granderson remaining on remand pending the continuation of their matter at the Charity Magistrate’s Court on August 3, Den Amstel residents vowed to maintain their public advocacy until full, uncompromised justice is delivered for both the victims of the tragedy and the accused crew members.
