–as Mobil Service Station bombing paper committal continues

ADDITIONAL video evidence was tendered on Monday as paper committal proceedings continued at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
The exhibits included closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the scene of the deadly October 2025 Mobil Service Station bombing, as well as recorded police interviews with two of the accused.
The matter is being heard before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty, who is examining the prosecution’s evidence to determine whether there is sufficient material to commit the four accused to stand trial before a judge and jury in the High Court in Demerara.
Among the exhibits presented were surveillance recordings from the Mobil Service Station at the corner of Regent and King Streets, Georgetown, where the fatal explosion occurred on October 26, 2025.
The court also briefly viewed video-recorded interviews conducted with the alleged mastermind, Venezuelan national Daniel Alexander Ramirez Poedemo, and the second accused, fellow Venezuelan national Alexander Bettencourt.

Poedemo, Bettencourt and Venezuelan national Jhonny Boodram, along with Guyanese-Venezuelan Krystal LaCruz, are jointly before the court in connection with the alleged terrorist attack, which claimed the life of six-year-old Soraya Bourne and injured several others relatives.
Following Monday’s proceedings, the matter was adjourned to Thursday, July 2, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. The four accused remain on remand and are represented by counsel.
Paper committal proceedings in the case commenced on June 8 and resumed on June 11, before being deferred to Monday.
During the process, the court conducts an extensive review of the prosecution’s evidence without hearing live testimony.
The magistrate is considering written statements, documentary evidence, forensic reports, including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) reports prepared by forensic experts in India, and other exhibits to determine whether a prima facie case has been established against the accused.
More than 100 statements were tendered when the proceedings opened, including evidence from eyewitnesses, police investigators and other persons connected to the investigation.
The October 26, 2025, explosion destroyed parts of the Mobil Service Station and caused extensive damage to nearby buildings and vehicles. It has been described as one of Guyana’s most serious national security incidents in recent years.
Poedemo faces a terrorism charge under Section 3(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, which alleges that he placed and detonated an explosive device with the intent to threaten Guyana’s security and sovereignty or to strike terror among the public, resulting in the death of the child.
Bettencourt, Boodram and LaCruz are charged with aiding and abetting Poedemo in the commission of the alleged terrorist act.
Investigators have relied on surveillance footage, forensic analysis and numerous witness statements during the probe, with some forensic samples also being sent to India for advanced testing.
All four accused remain on remand. The proceedings follow months of legal developments arising from the investigation.
In April this year, Guyanese nationals Ramesh Pramdeo and Wayne Correia were discharged after Magistrate Alisha George, sitting at the Leonora Magistrates’ Court, upheld a no-case submission and ruled that the evidence against them was insufficient.
However, their former co-accused, Venezuelan national Jennifer Rodriguez, was committed to stand trial in the High Court after the court ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against her.
Rodriguez, who remains on remand, is expected to stand trial at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Criminal Assizes.
The current proceedings focus on the remaining four accused, with Acting Chief Magistrate McGusty expected to determine whether the evidence presented is sufficient to commit them to stand trial in the Demerara High Court.
Senior Police Legal Advisor Mandel Moore is appearing for the prosecution, while the four accused are represented by their respective attorneys.
The government has previously indicated that it intends to seek the death penalty under Guyana’s anti-terrorism legislation, which provides for capital punishment where a terrorist act results in the loss of life.