Guyana Ambassador called on by Govt to explain US fraud conviction
Government’s Ambassador to Kuwait, Dr Shamir Ally has been written to by the Guyana Government to explain his 2003 conviction for financial crimes in the United States of America.
Guyana’s Ambassador to Kuwait, Dr Shamir Ally
Well-placed sources in the coalition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU) Government have confirmed that Dr Ally, its Kuwaiti Ambassador, has been called on to provide clarification.
Guyana Times was told that the Administration would not be making any formal pronouncements on the matter until a full determination was had, since Dr Ally could very well had found himself wrongfully implicated.
Dr Ally is but another of the coalition’s high-ranking members found to have been implicated in, and convicted of financial crimes.
Dr Ally was in 2003 investigated and found guilty of 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 sentence, and also paid a fine.
Dr Ally was appointed Guyana’s Ambassador to Switzerland under the current APNU/AFC Government, but was later seconded to Kuwait instead.
According to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Dr Ally was convicted of “the dissemination of false financial information” using his company, Acrodyne.
According to the 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”.
The SEC stated that as a result of Dr Ally and others, Acrodyne engaged in inaccurate and improper cost accounting and revenue recognition.
It also alleged that, starting in the second quarter of 1999 and continuing through the first quarter of 2000, Dr Ally directed that unsupported journal entries be made to the cost of sales and inventory accounts to bring Acrodyne’s financial statements in line with the gross margin percentage he had estimated for that period.
The SEC claimed that another of Dr Ally’s co-conspirators approved these fraudulent adjustments.
The US securities body had also claimed that another of Dr Ally’s co-conspirators recklessly provided false information to Acrodyne’s auditors relating to its guarantee of a customer’s debt.
In a related matter, in March 6, 2003, the SEC had also ordered Acrodyne to cease and desist from future violations of the antifraud, periodic reporting, and books and records provisions of the Exchange Act.
Ambassador Ally was among a number of diplomats that had been appointed in July last during a ceremony and orientation ceremony attended by Head of State, President David Granger.
At the time he had told the Government Information Agency, “I’ve already hinted, both to the President and the Vice (President) that I am looking forward to talking with them on getting vision and to help them to add value to surpass expectations…People are ready to help Guyana in many ways and the possibilities are endless.”
He was at the time speaking to his portfolio during his stint overseas.
Dr Ally also served as a director of the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest), Guyana’s premier hub for the solicitation of foreign investors.
