By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|
MELANIE DAMISHANA, EAST COAST DEMERARA — Residents of Melanie Damishana gathered along the East Coast Public Road on Wednesday afternoon for a peaceful rally in support of 40-year-old Captain Kevin Price (“KP”) and two senior crew members who have been remanded to prison on 72 counts of murder following the sinking of the M.V. Barima.
Protesters insisted that the State, rather than the operational crew, bears primary responsibility for deploying an 87-year-old vessel plagued by known mechanical defects and severe overloading.
Family and Community Stand in Solidarity with Captain Kevin Price
The demonstration brought together relatives, local community leaders, and neighbors who rallied around the family of Captain Kevin Price:
- Family Demands Justice: Janella and Deon Price, siblings of the remanded captain, spoke out against what they termed an unjust prosecution. They emphasized that Price was himself a survivor of the tragedy who actively assisted in rescue efforts and is now being used as a scapegoat rather than receiving trauma support.
- Community Leadership Support: Walston Martins, Chairman of the Buxton/Foulis Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), joined community members in urging authorities to release the men pending the outcome of the Commission of Inquiry (COI).
- Call for COI First: Demonstrators highlighted that laying capital murder charges before the international COI has even convened violates basic principles of fairness and prevents the crew from freely providing crucial eyewitness testimony.
[ COMMUNITY PROTEST DEMANDS AT MELANIE ]
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[ Immediate Legal Demands ] [ Executive Accountability ]
- Immediate release of Captain Price & senior crew - State liability for 87-year-old unseaworthy ferry
- Quashing of 72 murder counts prior to COI findings - Resignation of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill
- Psychological counseling for surviving crew - Complete physical salvage of M.V. Barima
Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed Joins Rally
Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed joined the demonstrators in Melanie Damishana, lending his support to the families while reiterating survivor accounts regarding pre-departure directives:
“Survivors I interviewed confirmed the boat was severely overloaded,” Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed told protesters. “The captain was upset and knew the risks, but a call came through and he was instructed to sail. To charge these men with murder while refusing to salvage the vessel to examine the physical cargo and manifest is completely wrong.”
Mohamed further criticized the government’s reluctance to raise the sunken ferry, asserting that a full salvage operation is essential to recovering remaining victims’ bodies and preserving primary evidence for the COI.
Remand Continues Pending Court Date
Captain Kevin Price, Chief Mate Rondell Roberts, and Goods Superintendent Delon Granderson remain on remand at Timehri Prison.
Their legal team, led by Dr. Dexter Todd, is scheduled to appear at the Charity Magistrate’s Court on August 3, 2026, as community demonstrations across East Coast and West Coast Demerara continue to demand full state accountability.
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