BY: By Travis Chase |HGP NIGHTLY NEWS |
Three more individuals have been charged in connection with the deadly October 26 explosion at the Mobil Gas Station on Regent Street, Georgetown, which claimed the life of six-year-old Soraya Bourne.
The accused — 51-year-old taxi driver Ramesh Pramdeo, 44-year-old part-time mechanic Wayne Correia, both Guyanese, and 33-year-old Venezuelan Jennifer Rodriguez — appeared via Zoom before Magistrate Alicia George at the Leonora Magistrates’ Court.
They were jointly charged with aiding and abetting the main suspect, Daniel Alexander Ramirez Poedemo, also known as “Kenny,” in committing a terrorist act intended to threaten the security and sovereignty of Guyana.
Attorney Bernard Da Silva, representing Pramdeo and Correia, argued that his clients are innocent men with no prior criminal records, insisting they were merely carrying out their regular duties. Da Silva told the court that Correia was in Pomeroon at the time of the explosion and had only arranged for Pramdeo to transport two Venezuelan nationals to a hotel on the East Bank of Essequibo.
The lawyer maintained that his clients did not know any plan, saw no explosive device, and were never in Georgetown in connection with the attack. He described the evidence against them as weak, calling the case an “abuse of process” and reminding the court that the accused are entitled to the presumption of innocence.
However, the prosecution objected to bail, stressing the gravity of the charge, the national security implications, and the severity of the penalties if convicted. Prosecutors countered the defence’s claims, asserting that the accused were part of the planning process that led to the explosion.
The court also heard that a boat allegedly used to transport the main suspect was later sold to one of the accused.
After considering the submissions, Magistrate Alicia George underscored the serious nature of the allegations and the potential risk to public safety, denying bail and remanding all three accused to prison until November 24.
