Deadly gas station bombing: 2 accused freed after as Magistrate upholds no-case submission

Two of the seven persons charged in relation to the deadly explosion at the Mobil Service Station on Regent Street, Georgetown, were on Monday freed after the Leonora Magistrate’s Court upheld a no-case submission. Principal Magistrate Alisha George discharged Ramesh Pramdeo and Wayne Correia after accepting arguments advanced by Defence Attorney Bernard DaSilva, who contended that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against the two accused.
DaSilva submitted that the evidence presented did not directly implicate Pramdeo and Correia in the alleged offence and further argued that they should not have been treated as co-accused persons. According to the defence, both men ought to have been considered witnesses rather than individuals, who aided and abetted an act of terrorism. During the proceedings, the prosecution disclosed an extensive body of material, including 244 witness statements, 39 exhibits, 61 discs, three sets of photographs, and one flash drive. However, the court was told that the case against Pramdeo and Correia rested on a limited portion of evidence specifically linked to them. After reviewing the submissions, Magistrate George ruled that the prosecution had not met the evidentiary threshold required to sustain the charge against the two men and accordingly, ordered their discharge from the proceedings.

Committed to stand trial
A third accused, Venezuelan national Jennifer Rodrigues, 33, who faced the same charge of aiding and abetting terrorism was however committed to stand trial at the High Court. The matter stems from the October 26, 2025, explosion at the Mobil Service Station, which resulted in the tragic death of six-year-old Soraya Bourne. The child was seated in a vehicle with family members when the explosive device detonated at the busy fuel station. Among the seven persons charged were three Guyanese and four Venezuelans. The Guyanese are 44-year-old Wayne Corriea, 51-year-old Ramesh Pramdeo, and 33-year-old Krystal LaCruz. Among the Venezuelans is the prime suspect, 33-year-old Daniel Alexander Ramirez Poedemo, who admitted to committing the crime after he was arrested. The others were 33-year-old Jennifer Rodriguez, 27-year-old Johnny Boodram, and 44-year-old Alexander Bettancourt.

Solely responsible
In another development in the case before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday, further legal arguments unfolded in relation to the main accused, Daniel Alexander Ramirez Poedemo, who has repeatedly admitted to being solely responsible for the attack. Poedemo is currently on trial alongside co-accused Alexander Bettencourt, Johnny Boodram, and Krystal La Cruz. The matter was adjourned to May 20, 2026. During Monday’s hearing, Poedemo’s Attorney Shellon Boyce requested an additional two weeks to finalise a formal proposal to be submitted to the prosecution, following her client’s admission of guilt. Boyce told the court that discussions with her client had advanced and that the matter was progressing, but additional time was required to complete the documentation.
Police Prosecutor Mandel Moore did not object to the application but requested that strict timelines be set for the filing and review of the proposal. He indicated that the prosecution would also require approximately two weeks to examine any submission from the defence. Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty granted the request, setting May 4, 2026, for the defence to submit its proposal and May 20, 2026, for report.

The Magistrate cautioned that if no progress is made by that date, the matter will proceed without further delay. Speaking through an interpreter, Poedemo reiterated his earlier position before the court, insisting that he acted alone in carrying out the explosion and that the other accused persons were not involved. “At the end of the day, they were not involved in anything; it was only me,” he told the court via his interpreter. However, Magistrate McGusty reminded the accused that his admission does not automatically determine the outcome of the cases against the other defendants, stressing that the matter must follow due legal process and is subject to review by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
“The DPP has to review the evidence against them,” the Magistrate stated, adding that responsibility for determining the continuation or withdrawal of charges lies with the prosecuting authority.
Poedemo, who was arrested days after the explosion, was captured on surveillance footage allegedly leaving a bag in the vicinity of the blast site shortly before the incident occurred.