Attorney General lays blame for ferry tragedy at feet of Captain and others charged as "primary offenders"

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, has joined the Director of Public Prosecutions in defending the 72 murder charges filed against the Captain and a Crew member of the ill-fated MV Barima ferry along with the Goods Superintendent at the Transport and Harbours Department. The three men were charged on Tuesday and remanded to prison. Appearing on his "Issues in the News" talk show last evening, the Attorney General listed those charged as the primary offenders in the ferry tragedy. “The very persons, the very politicians who are bawling for justice, for strong actions to be taken are the very ones that are now objecting and criticizing the institution of this charge. A mishap of this proportion has occurred and you’re not going to charge the captain of the boat that has command, you’re not going to charge the first who is essentially the deputy, you’re not going charge the person for the management of the cargo and passenger manifest, these are what you called principal offenders” Nandlall said. Mr. Nandlall said the incident is a severe one, where possibly over a hundred persons have died. He said from all accounts, the Captain was under the influence of alcohol and narcotics. He said none of the passengers were wearing their life jackets while on the vessel, and that is something that the Captain of the vessel should have ensured. The Director General of the Maritime Administration Department has explained to the media that there is no requirement for passengers of a ferry to be wearing life jackets during the course of their journey. “Its a hundred persons involved, if the DPP forms the view that the criminal negligence was so high, that it warrants the charge of murder then that is the DPP’s right, that is her opinion, and a Court could determine later on whether she is right or wrong,” Nandlall noted. Meanwhile, the Attorney General is accusing the Opposition of using the issue for political mileage. The Opposition parties have been pressing for the two Government Ministers who overlook the maritime sector and the Transport and Harbours Department to removed from their positions over the tragedy. “The Opposition has ceased this moment to exploit it for their narrow political gains and there is no doubt about that, they have exploited people’s anger, they have exploited people’s trauma, they have exploited people’s pain, grief and anguish in prosecuting and prostituting their narrow political agenda,” Mr. Nandlall said. He described the Opposition’s protest in the National Assembly on Monday as lawless and vulgar. “No doubt, the country is hurting, no doubt this is a national tragedy and you would expect that the leaders of the country would behave soberly and responsibly, would not disrespect the families who are grieving. You would have expected that there would have been aura of sobriety and aura that reflects a country that is mourning and increase and has never suffered such a disaster in its young, independent history. The National Assembly was supposed to be a solemn and sober place,” Nandlall said. The AG also defended the COI announced by the President, saying that he remains confident that the persons chosen to lead the investigation will do a thorough job. There have been some concerns about some of the persons chosen to be part of the Commission of Inquiry and their alleged links to the Government.