Making it clear that he does not condone terrorism, Attorney-at-Law Bernard Da Silva, who is representing the two Guyanese men accused of aiding and abetting the suspected gas station bombers, today said his clients are innocent, and should have been used as witnesses in the terrorism case.

“I condemn in the strongest possible form the act of the bombing, that’s the first thing. I condemn that, and as a Guyanese I would not represent anyone who would have committed an act of terrorism against the State of Guyana,” Da Silva told reporters outside the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

His clients, 51-year-old Ramesh Pramdeo and 44-year-old Wayne Corriea, were jointly charged along with Venezuelan national, 33-year-old Jennifer Rodrigues for aiding and abetting the prime suspects of the terror act, who have been charged separately.

Inside the Court this morning, Mr. Da Silva, while admitting that Pramdeo and Corriea facilitated the prime suspects – Daniel Alexander Ramirez Poedemo and Alexander Bettancourt – by having them transported from Parika to a hotel in Meten-Meer-Zorg, said they had no knowledge of the plans or intentions of the prime suspects. He said his clients did not see the explosive device, and were nowhere close to the Mobil Gas Station on Regent and King Streets on October 26, when the explosion occurred.

He told reporters that the two accused could better serve as witnesses to advance the State’s case against the other accused.

“Those persons could have been better used as witnesses for the state to make the State’s case against the Number 1 and 2 accused stronger,” he said.

Moving ahead, the Attorney said he intends to make a case for his clients to be used as witnesses. They, however, have been remanded to prison along with the other five accused due to the seriousness of the offence.

As he maintained their innocence, Da Silva explained that Corriea, a farmer and father of two, resides in Pomeroon, and knows both Pramdeo, who is a taxi driver, and the prime suspects.

It was Corriea, who reportedly called Pramdeo, and asked of him to transport the two Venezuelan nationals, known to both of them as gold miners operating in Guyana.

 “From my instructions, Wayne Corriea known these persons, let’s call them the alleged bombers because they are subject to a trial, and would have called Pramdeo to pick them up from Parika and drop them off at a hotel in Meten-Meer-Zorg. Now, that is all that he had done. He gets paid with the exchange of gold that he was given, as the prosecutor would have related, and you would have heard that in court. He would have been paid with gold to sell and return the proceeds and take out his portion. And so, that was the extent,” Da Silva said.

DaSilva said his clients know the Venezuelans from doing business with them as gold miners.

The Guyanese men along with their co-accused are scheduled to return to court on November 24.

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