Regent St gas station bombing: Prosecution completes evidence disclosure, way now cleared for paper committal

The prosecution on Tuesday completed the disclosure of its evidence in the high-profile case stemming from the deadly bombing of a gas station on Regent Street, Georgetown, paving the way for the matter to advance to paper committal.
The disclosure was made before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts in relation to four of the seven persons charged in connection with the October attack. The four who appeared in court are Venezuelan national Daniel Alexander Ramirez Poedemo, described by authorities as the alleged mastermind of the attack, together with Alexander Bettancourt, Johnny Boodram, and Krystal LaCruz.

Prosecutors told the court they had provided the defence teams with witness statements, forensic reports, and other material the Crown intends to rely on at trial. With disclosure complete, the prosecution applied for the matter to be heard by paper committal, a process in which the magistrate examines the written evidence to determine whether there is a prima facie case to send the accused for trial in the High Court.

Defence counsel for one of the accused, Mikel Puran (for Johnny Boodram), asked for extra time to review the recently provided material; the court granted that request and set December 30 as the date for procedural steps.
The explosion occurred on October 26 at the Mobil fuel station on the corner of Regent and King Streets, in Georgetown’s commercial district. The blast caused significant damage and tragically claimed the life of a young girl, six-year-old Soraya Bourne, and left others injured. The apparent placement of an explosive device near propane cylinders prompted investigators to treat the incident as a targeted, coordinated attack.
Police investigators have said two key items were recovered from the scene and were sent overseas for forensic testing. Authorities confirmed that the pieces of evidence were sent to laboratories in India for analysis; prosecutors and investigators have described those results as material to the Crown’s case.
In total, seven people have been charged in connection with the bombing. The other three accused, Guyanese nationals Wayne Correia, Ramesh Pramdeo, and Jennifer Rodriguez, face related charges and have been dealt with in separate magistracies; their matters were listed for December 17. Earlier court appearances in November saw the four, now before Principal Magistrate McGusty, remanded to prison and denied bail, given the seriousness of the charges.
The attack sparked national shock and condemnation. President Irfaan Ali described the incident as a “vile assault” and ordered a full-scale investigation, urging the public to assist law enforcement where possible. Prosecutors say the material disclosed to the defence will now be examined by the magistrate as the case proceeds on the paper-committal track; if the magistrate finds a prima facie case, the accused can be committed to stand trial in the High Court.

Photo: 7-TERRORISTS
Caption: Charged and remanded: Wayne Corriea, Ramesh Pramdeo, Daniel Alexander Ramirez Poedemo, Jennifer Rodriguez, Johnny Boodram, and Alexander Bettancourt