–as Mobil Service Station bombing paper committal continues
THE Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, on Thursday, continued its extensive review of evidence against four persons accused in connection with the deadly October 2025 bombing at the Mobil Service Station in Georgetown, with prosecutors tendering dozens of additional statements and key forensic reports as part of the ongoing paper committal proceedings.
The proceedings, being conducted before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty, are aimed at determining whether sufficient evidence exists to commit the accused to stand trial in the High Court on terrorism-related charges arising from the explosion that claimed the life of six-year-old Soraya Bourne.
During Thursday’s hearing, the court received dozens of statements and further statements from detectives attached to the Guyana Police Force’s Major Crimes Investigation Unit, which spearheaded the months-long investigation into the incident.
Also tendered was evidence from an official of the National Forensic Science University in India, one of the experts involved in the examination of forensic material collected during the probe.
Among the documentary evidence admitted were the post-mortem report prepared in relation to Bourne’s death, a site inspection report compiled by investigators, the publication of the wanted bulletin issued during the manhunt for suspects, a Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analysis report from the Center of Excellence in DNA Forensics (India), and vehicle registration documents linked to the investigation.
Also admitted into evidence were medical certificates relating to the victims who survived the attack, along with immigration records for the four accused.
The proceedings are expected to resume on June 29 at 09:30 hrs. as the court continues its review of the voluminous evidence gathered by investigators.
The paper committal process commenced on June 8, with more than 100 statements formally tendered on the opening day alone. Those statements included accounts from eyewitnesses, police officers, investigators and other individuals connected to the investigation.
The evidence submitted during the opening phase of the proceedings also included a statement from Venezuelan national, Jhonny Boodram, one of the accused persons.
Boodram is jointly charged with fellow Venezuelan national, Alexander Bettencourt, Guyanese-Venezuelan Krystal LaCruz, and Venezuelan national Daniel Alexander Ramirez Poedemo, who prosecutors allege orchestrated the attack.
The charges stem from the October 26, 2025, explosion at the Mobil Service Station located at the corner of Regent and King Streets in Georgetown.
The blast killed six-year-old Soraya Bourne and injured four of her relatives, who were in the vicinity when the explosion occurred. The incident also caused significant damage to nearby buildings and several vehicles and triggered widespread concern across the country.
Investigators have described the explosion as one of the most significant national security incidents in Guyana’s recent history.
According to the prosecution, Poedemo faces a charge of terrorism contrary to Section 3(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act.
The allegation is that he placed and detonated an explosive device with the intent to threaten Guyana’s security and sovereignty or to strike terror among members of the public, resulting in the death of the child.
Boodram, Bettencourt and LaCruz are accused of aiding and abetting Poedemo in the commission of the alleged terrorist act.
The Guyana Police Force’s investigation relied on a combination of surveillance footage, forensic evidence, intelligence gathering and witness testimony. Investigators also sought international assistance, sending forensic samples to India for advanced scientific testing.
The inclusion of DNA analysis reports and evidence from an Indian forensic expert is expected to form an important part of the prosecution’s case as the court assesses whether sufficient evidence exists to place the accused before a jury.
All four defendants remain on remand.
The commencement of the paper committal proceedings follows months of legal developments in the matter, including repeated claims by Poedemo that he alone was responsible for the explosion.
The broader investigation initially resulted in charges being laid against several other individuals.
Among them were Guyanese nationals Ramesh Pramdeo and Wayne Correia, who were charged alongside Venezuelan national, Jennifer Rodriguez, in separate proceedings before Magistrate Alisha George.
In April this year, Pramdeo and Correia were discharged after the magistrate upheld a no-case submission made by their attorney.
The court ruled that the evidence presented by the prosecution was insufficient to support the terrorism-related charges against the two men.
Rodriguez, however, was committed to stand trial in the High Court after the magistrate found that a prima facie case had been established against her. She remains on remand and is expected to face trial at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Criminal Assizes.
The proceedings before Acting Chief Magistrate McGusty now focus on what investigators have described as the central case involving the four accused.
Under Guyana’s criminal justice system, a paper committal is a pre-trial procedure used in serious criminal matters in which a magistrate examines written statements, expert reports and documentary evidence without hearing live testimony.
At the conclusion of the process, the magistrate must determine whether the evidence discloses a sufficient case to commit the accused to stand trial before a judge and jury in the High Court.
Senior Police Legal Adviser, Mandel Moore, is appearing on behalf of the State.
The case continues to attract significant public attention, particularly in light of the Government’s stated intention to pursue the death penalty under anti-terrorism legislation, which provides for capital punishment in circumstances where terrorist acts result in the loss of life.
