Acting Chief Magistrate, Faith McGusty, has announced that she will commence paper committal proceedings in the terrorism case on the 10^th March, 2026. Four suspects are before the Acting Chief Magistrate facing terrorism charges over the October 26, 2025 bombing at the Mobil Gas Station on Regent Street in Georgetown. Another three suspects are before another Magistrate.

The Acting Chief Magistrate made the announcement about the paper committal this morning when the case against Daniel Alexander Ramirez Poedemo, Alexander Bettencourt, Jhonny Boodram and Kystal LaCruz, continued at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

A Paper Committal proceeding is a judicial process during which a Magistrate determines if there is sufficient evidence for a case to proceed to the High Court based solely on written statements and documentary evidence, without an oral hearing.

Defence Attorneys for both Boodram and LaCruz had asked for the case to be heard in a hybrid form.

Attorney Kiswana Jefford who is representing LaCruz indicated that the team had hoped to cross-examine key witnesses. Jefford said the Defence Team for LaCruz was prepared to submit that list within three days, while Attorney for Boodram, Mikel Puran had asked for a week.

But Police Prosecutor, Mandel Moore, who had made an application for the case to be heard via paper committal since December 16, 2025, objected to the request.

He pointed the Court’s attention to the Criminal Law Procedure (Paper Committals) Act, which does not allow witnesses to be called.

Agreeing with the Police Prosecutor, the Acting Chief Magistrate said the case would be heard via paper committals.

“Once we proceed with Paper Committal proceedings, I think we throw out the baby with the bath water in relation to the previous proceedings which were possible,” the acting Chief Magistrate said.

Meanwhile, the other terrorism case against the two Guyanese men and their Venezuelan co-accused is continuing at the Leonora Magistrates’ Court.

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