Charged with 72 counts of murder, MV Barima captain said, “the boat don’t have a radar, The vessel don’t have a search and rescue transponder.”
Kevin Price, the 40-year-old captain who survived the tragic MV Barima mishap, has broken his silence to shed light on the issues surrounding the vessel as he was escorted into the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
When Price was escorted by police into the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court with handcuffs, he utilized the opportunity to speak about some of the issues with the 87-year-old vessel.
“I didn’t deserve this, Father God,” Price cried. “Answer my prayers this morning.”
Price did not shy away from criticizing the vessel itself, revealing that it was an aging and poorly equipped ship. “Everybody knows it’s an old vessel the government gave me to work,” he stated. “It’s an 87-year-old vessel. The vessel has a lot of issues.”
He said in his tearful briefing that, “The vessel don’t have a radar. The vessel don’t have a search and rescue transponder,” he added underscoring the vessel’s inability to be located in emergency situations.
Price also raised safety concerns about the life-saving equipment on board. “Look at those life rafts, they’ve expired since 2022,” he said. “Maritime did their inspections, and they never write off that vessel.”
Attorney-at-law Dexter Todd informed reporters that the police have fulfilled the purpose of the Commission of Inquiry and have already reached a definitive conclusion on the case. Representing the men involved, Todd stated that he requested an early disclosure. The case was transferred to the Charity Magistrate’s Court before the appropriate Magistrate within the proper jurisdiction. Todd mentioned that the next court date is scheduled for August 3, during which he plans to present preliminary legal arguments. He also noted that the primary witness expected to speak at the COI is the captain of the vessel.
“We have asked for early disclosure which will be on the 3rd of August. This is a complete unfair and injustice because of the complexity of this matter, you could not complete an investigation in terms of the complexity of this matter within such a short time,” Todd explained.
Todd further explained that in the legal context, the principle of sub judice states that if a matter is already before a court, a commission cannot investigate or interfere with the affairs of that case. This principle thus creates a barrier, limiting the commission’s ability to delve into certain issues related to the matter.
“There is a clear pronouncement yesterday, that we may not even see the boat back on water. My thing is, How do they hope to establish the weight of that boat?”
