After paedophile allegations… : Trotman’s eligibility will not be affected heading into elections
THE eligibility of Alliance For Change (AFC) executive member, Raphael Trotman, to be included on his party’s list of candidates is not expected to be affected, in light of the sexual abuse allegations levelled against him.
This was according to a senior official of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
The List of Candidates is submitted on Nomination Day, a month before Election Day, and is used to determine who represents a particular party in the National Assembly, based on the outcome of the General and Regional Elections.
The Speaker of the National Assembly has been dealing with the repercussions of being accused of sexual abuse of a minor, but has been most empathic in his denial of the claims.
The sexual abuse allegations were levelled against Trotman by 22-year-old Johnny Welshman Jr., who made the disclosure first via a post on the social media site, Facebook, last September. According to the young man, Trotman sodomised him when he was 12 years old.
Subsequently, Trotman moved to the courts to obtain a gag order and filed a $50M lawsuit against the 22-year-old. Last November, he secured an injunction from acting Chief Justice Ian Chang, which prevents Welshman from addressing the issue until the authorities have concluded their work on the matter.
The day after Chang’s ruling, November 12, Welshman attempted suicide and was reportedly rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). He was treated for consuming a large amount of chlorine- tainted liquid and sent home.
The young man was being represented by Attorney Peter Hugh. This newspaper understands that he is currently without legal representation.
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) earlier last week completed additional investigations as required by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack.
The file containing the details of sexual abuse allegations against Trotman has since been returned to the DPP’s Chambers.
Once the DPP has completed her review of the matter, she is expected to pronounce on the possibility of charges being brought against Trotman.