Ramjattan dodges questions on Ally, a leading AFC Diaspora figure

Ambassador’s conviction

Even as the Foreign Affairs Ministry said it was probing reports that Guyana’s Ambassador to Kuwait, Dr Shamir Ally was in 2003 convicted in the United States for dissemination of false financial information, Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan is refusing to say if his party intends to launch a probe into the allegations against Ally – a leading member in the AFC New York Chapter.

When contacted on Thursday, Ramjattan declared “I have nothing to say to you”.

When news of the conviction surfaced, Guyana Times had contacted the AFC Leader for a comment, but he had denied knowing about the issue.

Ramjattan had said that there was a background check done on Dr Ally and that no such information ever surfaced. “I don’t know where you got that from; we did our checks (on Dr Ally) a long time ago. So you write what you have to even if it means a lawsuit.”

AFC General Secretary, David Patterson had also said he was not aware of the allegations against Dr Ally.

Guyana Times also emailed Dr Ally for a comment but is still to receive a response. When contact was made with the Guyana Embassy in Kuwait, this publication was told that there is no available telephone contact for the Ambassador who only arrived in that country last week.

Dr Ally was appointed Guyana’s Ambassador to Switzerland under the current A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition Government, but was later seconded to Kuwait.

When asked by journalists about the allegations against Dr Ally, Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge said his Ministry was reviewing the now public 2003 conviction, with a view of making recommendations to Cabinet with regards to the necessity of further action.

“I have seen one of the publications and we are investigating – trying to establish the veracity and in determining the seriousness of the conviction,” Greenidge told reporters on Wednesday, following an accreditation ceremony held at the Ministry of the Presidency.

Speaking to his credentials, Vice President Greenidge reminded that, “Dr Ally was also a member of Go-Invest; he had been on a number of other boards or bodies in Guyana.”

With regards to the current investigation by the Guyana Government into Dr Ally’s US conviction, Greenidge pointed to some of the hurdles in acquiring the necessary information through official channels.

Following Dr Ally’s appointment, his company, International Consultants Services made public his biography, listing all Dr Ally’s business employment and experience, including companies for which he worked.

However, while it mentioned he has experience as a Corporate Controller, and experience in electronics, the company Acrodyne was not mentioned, leading to questions being asked whether Dr Ally would have deliberately left out this bit of information from his biography.

United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said that Dr Ally, Controller of Acrodyne; along with Acrodyne’s former Chief Executive Officer and President, A Robert Mancuso and Chief Financial Officer, Ronald R Lanchoney were involved in the dissemination of false financial information by Acrodyne Communications Inc in press releases and Commission filings in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

The trio was aware of numerous and significant problems with Acrodyne’s accounting controls, but failed to assure that thefinancial transactions were accurately recorded.

The Commission claimed that as a result of the actions of Mancuso, Lanchoney and Ally, Acrodyne engaged in inaccurate and improper cost accounting and revenue recognition.

On March 4, 2003, US District Court Judge, Michael M Baylson entered final judgments against the men, prohibited Mancuso and Lanchoney from acting as an Officer or Director of a public company.

Additionally, Mancuso was fined $50,000, Lanchoney $10,000 and Ally $10,000.

According to court documents, the men consented to the entry of the orders without admitting or denying the Commission’s allegations in the action.