DIRECTOR of Public Prosecutions, Ms. Shalimar Ali-Hack, has emphatically rejected the notion that she assured 22-year-old Jonny Welchman Jr. that she will protect him, following his allegations of sexual abuse against Speaker of the House, Mr. Raphael Trotman.

A statement from her office, yesterday, said, “Based on a telephone call from Ms. Svetlana Marshall, a reporter from the Guyana Times Newspaper during the morning hours of Wednesday 24th September, 2O14, for verification on whether the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Shalimar Ali-Hack had engaged in a conversation with one Mr. Welchman on Sunday 21st, September, 2O14 and during which time she purportedly gave him assurances that she will provide protection for him, the DPP wishes to state this is not so.”
The statement goes on to say, “The Director of Public Prosecutions herein wishes to categorically state that at no time did she ever engage in a conversation, telephone or otherwise, with Mr. Welchman.
“The DPP further categorically states that since she did not have any conversation with Mr. Welchman, she could not, or did not, give assurances that she will provide protection for him as is alleged.”
The statement did, however, confirm that the DPP’s Chambers was in receipt of a complaint, in writing, from Mr. Welchman at approximately 12:50hrs on Wednesday September 24, 2O14.
“This was the first time that Mr. Welchman had interacted with, or visited, the DPP’s Chambers,” the statement said.
The Speaker of the National Assembly has, since the allegations were made, been most empathic in his denial of claims that he sexually assaulted the young man in question, via an entry on the popular social media site, FaceBook.
“A malicious and unfounded allegation of sexual molestation has been made against me by an unstable young man, who, sadly, appears to have a troubled mind. I categorically deny his wicked assertions,” the Speaker said in a statement.
Trotman has also called for a “thorough and professional” investigation into the “scurrilous” allegation.
According to him, the young man seems to have been “conveniently encouraged by manipulative and diabolic political” forces.
“Conveniently, such scandalous assertions are obviously intended to provide a timely distraction from the serious prevailing political situation in Guyana, which imminently requires me as Speaker of the National Assembly to guide the ship of the nation’s Parliament through the strongest test to Guyana’s constitutional democracy: the debate of a no- confidence motion,” he said.
He reiterated that there is “absolutely no truth” in the allegation, and expressed confidence that the masterminds and supporters of what he termed a “dastardly plot” will soon be exposed.
“As a true patriot of Guyana, I will not allow the office of Speaker of the National Assembly to be compromised or be denigrated by false accusations for political expediency…God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” Trotman said.

(Vanessa Narine)