Johnny Welshman threatens to expose media houses, journalists
…as CJ upholds gag order, advises him to seek professional legal advice

CHIEF Justice (CJ) Ian Chang on Wednesday refused to grant Johnny Welshman an order discharging an injunction placed on him with respect to publishing and or commenting publicly on the rape allegations he has been levelling against Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman.

Yesterday Welshman appeared in the chief justice’s chambers unrepresented, seeking to have the CJ reverse his decision even as attorney-at-law, Nigel Huges for Raphael Trotman was present during the in-chambers meeting.
The chief justice advised Trotman’s accuser that he should seek professional legal representation and/ or legal advice regarding what is expected of him to comply with the rules of the court.
Yesterday, Welshman, after leaving the chambers of the Chief Justice and after listening to what Trotman’s attorney had to say to the media, said that it was a clear case of abuse of power and under the United Nations Treaty which he said he has brought forward with respect to freedom of information, his rights were not only infringed, but he was also barred from doing other things.
Welshman said that while the injunction is what it is, it does not bar him from doing international meetings as he made reference to a press conference with the BBC and CCN 3 news agencies which were to be facilitated later yesterday at the Pegasus Hotel.
On the issue of his statements having merit or not, Welshman said that his claims are all true and he will not lose the case. He told reporters that if he gets no satisfaction in Guyana, then he will move to the Caribbean Court of Justice and the Privy Council, should the CCJ fail him. “If they want to play hardball, I am ready to play hardball,” Welshman told reporters.
Welshman, who has been deemed mentally unstable by Trotman and other persons in sections of the society, yesterday announced that he will be moving to sue media houses and journalists who have been having certain engagements with him and deliberately misrepresenting his comments to them.
He spoke of reports in sections of the media, which attributed statements to him that he was picked up by Government officials at the airport and that he told them he was staying at the Pegasus Hotel.
Welshman again reiterated that his claims are factual and not politically motivated, stating that if they were, then he would have had a battery of lawyers representing him. He challenged media houses and journalists to bring forward recordings of him making certain statements which they have clearly misrepresented in their reporting, as he pointed out that he has evidence to suggest that their motives were well orchestrated.
“This pen here has a little camera in it and if it comes to a point where I have to expose journalists and who and who and who I will do it,” Welshman told reporters as he insinuated that he received advice on the matter from journalist, Adam Harris.
Contacted yesterday, Adam Harris told the Guyana Chronicle, he did have an interview with the young man who told him that his funds were dwindling. Harris said that he advised the young man to seek a cheaper hotel and that his allegations are what they are, but once those are placed out there they remain out there. Harris denied ever making any call to the Speaker of the National Assembly in the presence of Welshman, as the young man claimed to another section of the media.
Welshman said that the Speaker of the National Assembly has been mentioning politics to sweep the allegations under the rug, while commenting that the numerous documents surfacing on social media and elsewhere purporting to be his documents are without signatures and thus fraudulent, even as he calls for Interpol and the United States to investigate the documents. He told reporters that the document he has in his possession are the originals to the ones which are circulating elsewhere.
Welshman warned media houses to play their recordings and bring forward their evidence or receive pre-action protocol from his attorney when he arrives. He did not say where his attorney would be travelling from.
The young man who was armed with several files purporting to be documents, told reporters that they would be made available to the chief justice when those are requested.

(BY Leroy Smith)