Deadly Mobil Service Station bombing: Prosecution completes tendering of video, documentary evidence

…accused mastermind choses to remain silent, declines to file defence statement

The prosecution, on Wednesday, completed the tendering of its documentary evidence in the paper committal proceedings into the deadly October 2025 Mobil Service Station bombing, paving the way for defence submissions on behalf of three of the four accused.
When the matter came up before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, Senior Police Legal Advisor Mandel Moore tendered additional video evidence along with 43 photographs of the Mobil Service Station at the corner of Regent and King Streets, Georgetown, and its surrounding areas.
The four accused are Venezuelan nationals Daniel Alexander Ramirez Poedemo, Alexander Bettencourt, Jhonny Boodram, and Guyanese-Venezuelan Krystal LaCruz.
With the completion of the prosecution’s evidence, the matter was adjourned to July 15 at 13:15h for defence submissions in relation to accused Bettencourt, LaCruz and Boodram.
Attorneys-at-law Nickesha Daniels, Shellon Boyce and Zola Williams of the Guyana Legal Aid Clinic, who represent Poedemo, informed the court that no statements would be filed on his behalf and that he would exercise his constitutional right to remain silent.
Attorney Melvin Duke, who represents Bettencourt and was absent from Wednesday’s proceedings, is expected to present submissions on his client’s behalf at the next hearing.
Meanwhile, attorney Kiswana Jefford filed a statement on behalf of LaCruz and requested time to make submissions in support of her client.
Attorney Mikel Puran also filed documents on behalf of Boodram, including his birth certificate, immunisation card and Guyana passport, as part of his defence.
The proceedings are part of a paper committal, during which the court reviews documentary evidence to determine whether a prima facie case has been established to commit the accused to stand trial in the High Court in Demerara, without hearing oral testimony from witnesses.
The prosecution, led by Moore, has presented a substantial volume of evidence over several paper committal hearings, which began in early June.
The evidence tendered includes dozens of witness statements, forensic and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) reports, documentary exhibits, photographs and numerous video recordings collected during the investigation.

Detonating an explosive device
Poedemo, the alleged mastermind, is charged under Section 3(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act with allegedly placing and detonating an explosive device with the intent to threaten Guyana’s security and sovereignty or terrorise the public, resulting in the death of six-year-old Soraya Bourne.
Bettencourt, Boodram and LaCruz are jointly charged with aiding and abetting Poedemo in the commission of the alleged terrorist act.
The accused are not required to enter pleas at this stage of the proceedings and remain on remand pending the outcome of the paper committal.
The charges stem from the October 26, 2025, explosion at the Mobil Service Station at Regent and King Streets, Georgetown, where an explosive device detonated while Bourne was seated in a vehicle with family members.
The child died as a result of injuries sustained in the blast, while several members of her family were injured. Nearby buildings and vehicles also suffered extensive damage.
The current proceedings involve four of the original seven accused.
In April of this year, Guyanese nationals Ramesh Pramdeo and Wayne Correia were discharged after the Leonora Magistrate’s Court upheld a no-case submission, finding insufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against them.
However, their former co-accused Jennifer Rodriguez was committed to stand trial in the High Court on a charge of aiding and abetting terrorism after the court found sufficient evidence against her. She remains on remand pending trial at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Criminal Assizes.
Investigators have alleged that Poedemo confessed to illegally entering Guyana by boat from Venezuela hours before the attack and admitted to bringing the explosive device into the country. According to investigators, he also allegedly identified himself as a member of a Venezuelan Syndicato gang known as “Organisation R”.
The Government has previously indicated that it intends to seek the death penalty against anyone convicted in the case under Guyana’s anti-terrorism laws, which provide for capital punishment where a terrorist act results in death.