GEORGETOWN – Several people were brought before the courts on Tuesday in connection with the October 26 bombing at the Mobil Gas Station on Regent Street, an explosion that claimed the life of six-year-old Soraya Bourne and left Guyana reeling in grief and disbelief.
The deadly blast, which authorities described as a deliberate act of terror, has now led to sweeping terrorism charges against multiple suspects. At the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, 33-year-old Venezuelan Daniel Alexander Ramirez Poedemo, 44-year-old Venezuelan Alexander Bettancourt, and 33-year-old Guyanese Krystal LaCruz were each charged with committing a terrorist act with intent to strike terror among the people of Guyana.
Prosecutors told the court that the trio allegedly aided and abetted each other in carrying out the attack, which they said threatened the country’s security and sovereignty. None of the accused were represented by attorneys when they appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty.
Also appearing in court was 27-year-old Venezuelan taxi driver Johnny Boodram, who police say operates out of the Double Standard Hotel. Boodram, however, maintained his innocence through his attorney, Mikhael Puran, who told the court that his client knew none of the other accused and had merely given LaCruz a ride on the day in question.
Puran described Boodram’s arrest as “an abuse of process,” arguing that police had failed to request an extension to detain him and had not followed proper procedure. He further claimed that a SIM card allegedly linked to his client had been purchased months before the bombing and had no connection to the crime.
Despite those arguments, the prosecution objected to bail for all four defendants, citing the seriousness of the charge and the potential risk to public safety. Magistrate McGusty agreed and ordered that they be remanded to prison until November 12, pending further investigation.
Meanwhile, at the Leonora Magistrates’ Court, four other suspects, 51-year-old Guyanese Ramesh Pramdeo, 33-year-old Venezuelan Jennifer Rodriguez, 44-year-old Guyanese Wayne Correia, and another individual, were also charged with similar terrorism-related offences.
The group is expected to appear via Zoom hearing in Court Six as the case proceeds. The charges mark a major turn in an investigation that has gripped the nation. The Mobil Gas Station explosion, which tore through the busy Regent Street location and claimed the life of young Soraya, has been described as one of the most shocking acts of violence in recent memory.
As the legal proceedings begin, the public’s demand for answers, and justice, remains as strong as ever.
