Seven suspects at the center of the October 26 bombing at the Mobil Gas Station in down town Georgetown, which claimed the life of a 6-year-old girl, will be charged with terrorism on Wednesday, the Guyana Police Force has announced.
Three of the suspects are Guyanese nationals, while the others are Venezuelans.
In a statement this afternoon, the Guyana Police Force said following comprehensive investigations into the explosion at the Mobil Regent Street Gas Station, and with legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), charges will be instituted against a total of seven persons.
Three Guyanese – 44 year-old Wayne Corriea, 51-year-old Ramesh Pramdeo; and 33-year-old Krystal LaCruz – and four Venezuelans – 33-year-old Daniel Alexander Ramirez Podeomo, 33-year-old Jennifer Rodriguez, 27-year-old Johnny Boodram, and 44-year-old Alexander Bettancourt will be charged with terrorism.
The suspects are expected to appear at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court at 9:00hrs to answer to the terrorism charge, which carries the death penalty.
The Police Force, in the statement, assured that the investigation was conducted with professionalism, integrity and strict adherence to due process.
“The Force remains committed to upholding the rule of law, protecting citizens and ensuring peace and public safety across the nation,” the statement read.
The deadly Sunday night incident shocked the country and has forced the security forces to step up their monitoring of foreign nationals and locals linked to Venezuela.
On Monday, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said anyone found guilty of terrorist acts in Guyana would face the full force of the law.
“If anyone, a foreigner or a local were to try to create or conduct acts of terrorism in Guyana or to undermine the sovereignty of our country, they will face the similar tough approach from the Government of Guyana; they will face the full force of the law. It doesn’t matter what nationality they are, it is the crime that matters, and this is a crime that is abhorrent to everyone, terrorism,” the Vice President said.
He reminded that a child was killed in the explosion, adding that had the suspected terrorists been allowed to execute the attack as planned, it would have been worse.
The Vice President said the investigations will continue to examine motives.
“That investigation would go deeply after linkages. If the linkages are local, we will go wherever they take us. And if the linkages are international, we will do so too,” he said.
Guyana got external support to assist with the investigations.
The main suspect, Venezuelan national, Daniel Alexander Ramirez Podeomo, was captured on camera planting two bags with the suspected explosive device near to cooking gas cylinders at the gas station, after he was earlier blocked from placing the bags in a garbage receptacle near the fuel pumps.
The man was arrested two days later in the East Bank Essequibo village of Vergenoegen after the Police were able to circulate photographs of him. By the time he was arrested, the other suspects had already been taken into custody.
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