Paria And LMCS Execs Plead Not Guilty

Criminal charges were presented during a virtual court hearing on Wednesday against key figures from Paria Fuel Trading Company Limited and Land and Marine Contracting Services (LMCS), arising out of the 2022 diving tragedy. The charges were laid against Paria’s General Manager Mushtaq Mohammed, Manager Colin Piper, and LMCS Director Kazim Ali Senior. Each of the defendants entered not guilty pleas to the 15 charges related to alleged violations of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act. The accusations, filed by OSHA’s Chief Inspector Franz Brisbane and prosecuted by Senior Counsel Pamela Elder, include failures in risk assessment, emergency planning, and safety measures. Defense Attorneys Gilbert Peterson and Dinesh Rambally have requested full disclosure of evidence before proceeding further. They have also questioned the timing of the charges, noting an upcoming Privy Council decision on the limitation period for such cases. Magistrate Alicia Chankar directed OSHA to provide the required evidence summaries. The case has been adjourned to January 16 for a status hearing.