Greenidge hints at nonrenewal of Dr Shamir Ally contract
Despite revelations of a fraud conviction in the United States, the Government of Guyana has decided to allow Guyanese Diplomat, Dr Shamir Ally to serve out his one year contract as Ambassador to Kuwait.
This is according to Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge at the Ministry’s end of year press briefing on Thursday.
Guyana’s Ambassador to Kuwait, Dr Shamir Ally
In September, it was revealed that Dr Ally, who was initially appointed Guyana’s Ambassador to Switzerland but later seconded to Kuwait instead, was convicted in the US sometime ago for disseminating false financial information.
According to Greenidge, while Government felt it should have been informed about the conviction, the Ambassador will nevertheless serve out his contract.
“We have looked at that matter and we have concluded that Dr Ally should have drawn to our attention the matter that was raised in the press. It is, we believe, inappropriate for him not to have done so…(but) as it stands right now, the contract that he has will stand,” the Minister stated.
He went on to say that the Guyana Government has since taken “necessary actions” against Ambassador Ally. “Let me say the appropriate action in the light of all the circumstances had to do with (Government) writing Dr Ally and drawing to his attention concerns and our wish to ensure that no similar oversight will be uncovered in the future,” Greenidge disclosed.
The Foreign Affairs Minister noted that Government is looking forward to the service of Dr Ally during the tenure of his contract and further opted not to say where the Guyanese Diplomat’s contract will be renewed for another term.
“I would not want to pronounce on (the prospects for a contract renewal) at this stage. There is always a prospect, whether it’s good or not so good is another matter,” he remarked. In 2002, Dr Ally was investigated for dissemination of false financial information through a US registered company, Acrodyne Communications Inc. He had copped a plea bargain agreement with the United States Government for a lesser penalty of a US$10,000 fine.
According to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Acrodyne’s former Finance Comptroller, Dr Ally and others “were aware of numerous and significant problems with Acrodyne’s accounting controls, but failed to assure that Acrodyne’s financial transactions were accurately recorded”. However, in a subsequent statement, Dr Ally vehemently denied culpability in the charges brought by the SEC to the company he was employed with. He pointed out that he was employed with the company for a short period (February 1999 to July 2000). He started off as the Cost Accounting Manager and from May 1999, he served in the capacity of Controller.
He claimed that he was terminated in 2000 when the Technical Director Ostroff became the new President. The company was at the time in the midst of a power struggle, falling revenue/income and a depleting labour force, he stated. The statement further detailed that in May 2002, charges were brought by SEC against former President A Robert Mancuso and former Chief Financial Officer Ronald R Lanchoney, along with Controller Shamir Ally, accusing them of disseminating false financial information in press releases and Commission filings in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Dr Ally was first employed at Acrodyne in 1999.
Instead of proceeding with a long and costly trial, the three professionals were strongly advised by that company’s lawyer to make a deal with the SEC to pay fines without admission of guilt.
