Sexual assault charge against Former Director of Prisons dismissed

Jan 12, 2017 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

– insists he will not return to post

Former Director of Prison Welton Trotz has made it clear that he will not return to the post even if he is asked to do so. Trotz was very outspoken to reporters, minutes after a sexual offence charge, which had alleged that he sexually

FREED: Welton Trotz

assaulted a female prison officer, was dismissed.
The matter had been engaging the attention of the court for close to 14 months.
The trial had been ongoing before Magistrate Fabayo Azore in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Proceedings in relation to the matter were held in camera due to the nature of the charge.
Trotz had initially pleaded not guilty to the charge and had been released on $100,000 bail. Magistrate Fabayo Azore dismissed the matter yesterday due to insufficient evidence against Trotz. The Former Director of Prisons stated that he knew the allegation levelled against him would be dismissed because he had done nothing.
“I said that when I was charged. I knew I would be vindicated, because I did not do anything. I will go back to church and talk to my people. I must say that the court has been fair in my opinion because the Magistrate would have listened to all the evidence laid against me. I had to give evidence, I had to call witnesses and it was proved beyond a doubt that whatever she (prison officer) alleged did not occur.”
Trotz said that he will not resume post as Head of the Prisons even if he is asked to return.
According to Trotz, “If people don’t like you there you can’t go there. People came together there to ensure I did not last out my term and I will not go back there. There were some persons in and out of the system who conspired…a particular lady who umm…say she is a church-goer or she is a priest or something… she was one of those persons. I know them and they know themselves. They will hear this or they will see this. Some who are still serving and some who would have retired. They all conspired, so I will not go back even if I’m asked to go back, and it is not the right thing for me to do now…to ask to go back. I will take it from there. I am satisfied.”
On October 23, 2016, minutes after Trotz was charged, he announced that he was stepping down from the post.
According to reports, the matter stemmed from an alleged incident that took place in Trotz’s office at the Guyana Prisons Headquarters on Brickdam in January 2015.
Based on reports, the female prison officer had alleged that Trotz, who was confirmed as Director of Prisons in 2014, had made sexual advances towards her.
The prison officer had alleged that Trotz invited her into his office and showed her pornographic images, after which he again made sexual advances to her.
It was reported that the woman became annoyed and lodged an official complaint with the then Ministry of Home Affairs.
A Board of Inquiry headed by the late Cecil Kilkenny, himself a former Director of Prisons, was set up. The Board after examining the facts of the matter had recommended that Trotz face disciplinary action, and he was also advised to apologize to the female prison officer but refused.
However, several months later the prison officer reported the matter to police with the intention of having criminal charges filed against, Trotz, a former Assistant Commissioner of Police. Investigations were done and a file was sent by police to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who recommended that Trotz be charged with the offence.
The charge against the former Director of Prisons came weeks after he was presented with the Disciplined Services Medal.

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