– Foreign Affairs Minister Greenidge confirms
DR Shamir Ally, selected by Guyana as Ambassador to Kuwait, will soon be accredited by the Kuwaiti government following an investigation into reports of him being convicted under the U.S. Securities Act in 2003 for fraud.
On Saturday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge said the probe into Dr Ally’s legal past has been completed and noted that discussions were held at the level of Cabinet on the matter.
However, he made it clear that those discussions with his Cabinet colleagues are not complete. “It should be done soon,” The Foreign Affairs Minister told reporters.
Asked whether the Ambassador would be accredited, Greenidge responded, “Yes, unless something untoward occurs.”
In September, it was discovered that a civil case was filed against Dr Ally along with Ronald Lanchoney and Robert Mancuso by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The trio was allegedly involved in the distribution of false financial information by Acrodyne Communications Inc. in in 1998, 1999 and 2000 and according to court documents Mancuso, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, Dr. Ally, the company’s former controller and Lanchoney were aware of many problems associated with the company’s accounting controls, but failed to assure that its financial transactions were accurately recorded.
Mancuso was fined US$50,000 and Ally and Lanchoney fined US$10,000 each. It was reported that the offenders consented to the entry of the orders without admitting or denying the Commission’s allegation in the action.
Notwithstanding the discovery of Dr Ally’s legal battle, the Foreign Affairs Minister had assured the media that “due diligence was exercised” in the lead-up to Dr. Ally’s appointment. He noted too that due to the size of the United States, where the ambassador resided, it was difficult to obtain information.
When news of Dr Ally’s legal woes spread, there was some concern about the screening process employed by the APNU+AFC coalition government. Dr Ally, though never criminally charged or convicted, failed to disclose his past legal troubles in the United States to the government and the subsequent revelation of that information came as a surprise to many, including the Alliance For Change (AFC), the political party to which he is aligned.
AFC’s party leader Khemraj Ramjattan has said that while Dr. Ally would have had legal issues, it does not take away from his qualifications and experience for the post he has been identified for.
Dr. Ally is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President of International Consulting Services. He has 20 years of experience in the field of business in Guyana (1960-1979). In the U.S., he has acquired 27 years of experience in the field of business, operating as Corporate Controller, Chief Accounting Officer, Vice-President of Finance, and Chief Financial Officer at AMEX, NYSE, and NASDAQ — Listed Public Corporations in New York and Pennsylvania, USA.
Additionally, he has global experience in 15 industries and services: electronics, apparel, printing & packaging, insurance, financing, lotteries, pharmaceuticals, sugar, rice, spices, gold, diamonds, accounting, auditing & consulting services, and universities.
On May 11, 1994, he received the Republican Senatorial Inner Circle Medal of Freedom from then U.S. President George Bush for ”Dedication, Unwavering Support, and as a Prominent Leader in the Republican Party.” This is the highest honour the Republican members of the U.S. Senate can bestow.
