Key evidence from fatal gas station bombing sent to India for testing – court hears

Two pieces of crucial evidence recovered from the scene of the deadly Mobil Gas Station explosion have been shipped to India for advanced forensic testing, the court heard on Wednesday, as four of the main accused in the terrorism case reappeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Police Prosecutor Mandel Moore told Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty that investigators uncovered several items while combing the Regent and King Streets blast site in the days following the attack which occurred on October 26.

He said two of those items were deemed significant enough to warrant overseas scientific analysis, and the prosecution is now awaiting the results.

As such, the court matter was adjourned to December 16, when the findings are expected to be formally disclosed.

Appearing virtually were 33-year-old Venezuelan national Daniel Alexander Ramirez Poedemo, the suspected architect of the bombing; 44-year-old Alexander Bettencourt; 27-year-old taxi driver Johnny Boodram; and 33-year-old Krystal LaCruz. Attorney Nigel Hughes represented LaCruz during the proceedings, while other counsel appeared for the remaining accused.

The four are charged with terrorism arising from the October 26 explosion, which killed six-year-old Soraya Bourne and injured several others. The child had been sitting inside a vehicle at the gas pumps when the device detonated, causing havoc across central Georgetown.

Investigators allege that Poedemo illegally entered Guyana early on the morning of the attack, coordinated the plot, and led the movements of the group throughout the day. According to police, Poedemo and his accomplices conducted surveillance at the gas station between 11:00h and noon before returning later in the afternoon. Poedemo is said to have attempted to hide an explosive device in a garbage bin near the fuel pumps, but after being stopped by an attendant, he placed it elsewhere on the compound and fled moments before the blast.

His arrest later that evening in Vergenoegen, Region Three, resulted in the seizure of CCTV footage and digital evidence, including photographs of the explosive device and clothing allegedly worn during the attack.

Investigators claim Bettencourt crossed into Guyana with Poedemo and assisted with elements of the plan. They further allege that Boodram transported some of the suspects to the gas station hours before the explosion in what is believed to have been a reconnaissance mission. LaCruz, who frequently hired Boodram as her driver, is accused of helping coordinate the team’s movements.

While the four primary defendants remain on remand, three other individuals charged separately, Wayne Correia, Ramesh Pramdeo, and Jennifer Rodriguez, also recently appeared before the Leonora Magistrates’ Court. Their matter is set to continue on December 17.

According to investigators, Correia contacted Pramdeo to transport LaCruz and another Venezuelan from Parika to a hotel in Meten-Meer-Zorg, paying him with cash believed to be proceeds from raw gold valued at more than $600,000. Rodriguez is accused of assisting the group with communications and logistics ahead of the blast.

All seven accused remain before the courts as the wide-ranging terrorism probe continues.