By: Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News |
There was tight security and heightened police presence around the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday morning as the alleged mastermind and three others appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty, charged with terrorism in connection with the October 26 deadly bombing at the Mobil Gas Station on Regent Street.
The tragic blast claimed the life of six-year-old Soraya Bourne and sent shockwaves across the nation.
Appearing before the court were Venezuelan nationals Daniel Alexander Ramirez Poedemo, 33, and Alexander Bettancourt, 44, along with Guyanese national Krystal LaCruz, 33. They were all charged with committing a terrorist act with the intent to strike terror in the people of Guyana.
Prosecutors told the court that the defendants aided and abetted each other in executing the act, which posed a grave threat to Guyana’s national security and sovereignty.
Also charged was 27-year-old Venezuelan taxi driver Johnny Boodram, who reportedly operates out of the Double Standard Hotel.
His attorney, Mikhael Puran, argued that his client was wrongfully detained, noting that he had no connection to the other accused and that LaCruz was merely a customer he had transported on the day in question. Puran further claimed that the SIM card allegedly linked to Boodram had been purchased months earlier, in July, and was unrelated to the bombing.
The prosecution, however, objected to bail for all four accused, citing the seriousness of the offence and the potential risk to public safety.
After hearing both sides, Acting Chief Magistrate McGusty ordered that all defendants be remanded to prison until November 12, 2025, when the matter will be called again.
