By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News |
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — A major legal challenge has been mounted at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court in the preliminary inquiry into the deadly October 2025 gas station explosion, with defence attorneys for three of the accused formally submitting that state prosecutors have failed to establish a prima facie case to commit their clients for trial before a High Court judge and jury.
Attorneys representing Jhonny Boodram, Krystal La Cruz, and Alexander Bettencourt appeared before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty, arguing that the state’s documentary evidence fails to disclose sufficient nexus linking their clients to the terrorism charge stemming from the attack that claimed the life of six-year-old Soraya Bourne.
Defence No-Case Submissions at Committal Stage
As committal proceedings resumed on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, the legal representation for the trio launched formal no-case submissions seeking an immediate dismissal of the capital indictment:
- Legal Representation: Boodram is represented by Attorney-at-Law Mikel Puran, La Cruz by Tifaine Rutherford, and Bettencourt by Melvin Duke.
- Core Defence Contention: The attorneys submitted that despite the volume of paperwork entered into the record, the prosecution has failed to produce legally admissible evidence directly demonstrating common design, material conspiracy, or operational involvement by the trio in the bombing.
- Co-Accused Stance: A fourth defendant, Daniel Alexander Ramirez Peodemo, represented by state-appointed counsel Shellon Boyce, did not join the motion to dismiss, indicating that he will abide by whatever ruling the magistrate renders based on the filed record.
Ramirez Peodemo’s Confession and the DPP Directive
The committal inquiry has witnessed notable procedural turns regarding defendant culpability and plea posture:
- Sole Responsibility Claim: Earlier in 2026, Ramirez Peodemo stated in open court that he alone orchestrated and executed the deadly explosion, actively seeking to exonerate Boodram, La Cruz, and Bettencourt of any prior knowledge or involvement.
- Withdrawn Guilty Plea: Following formal directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) instructing prosecutors to maintain terrorism charges against all co-conspirators, Ramirez Peodemo subsequently withdrew his tendered guilty plea to proceed via the preliminary paper committal route.
Evidential Bundle and Separate Committal at Leonora
Special prosecutors formally closed the evidential phase of the paper committal, entering a voluminous bundle comprising more than 225 written statements and exhibits into evidence:
- Forensic and Scientific Evidence: The prosecution’s documentary bundle includes international forensic ballistics and DNA match findings returned from laboratories in India, official post-mortem certification for six-year-old Soraya Bourne, medical condition reports for survivors, and cross-border immigration records.
- Prior Committal in Region Three: A fifth accused, Jennifer Rodriguez, whose preliminary proceedings were conducted separately before the Leonora Magistrates’ Court, was recently committed to stand trial for terrorism before the Supreme Court of Judicature.
Principal Magistrate McGusty has adjourned the proceedings to review the written submissions alongside the prosecution’s 225 statements before delivering her ruling on whether a prima facie case has been made to commit Boodram, La Cruz, and Bettencourt to the High Court.
