Company registered 4 years, not days, before Govt contract – Sigma tells US-sanctioned LOO

… Calumnious, unsubstantiated, defamatory – lawyer tells Mohamed in legal letter

Sigma Engineers Limited Inc has rejected recent allegations made by United States (US)-sanctioned and indicted Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed regarding its operations in Guyana, while legal counsel for Mohamed Aqtar Ali has demanded the withdrawal of statements made about his client and warned of legal action.

Mohamed, in a video posted to the Team Mohamed Facebook page on Monday, alleged that Sigma Engineers Limited Inc was established days before receiving a contract from the Guyana Government. However, Sigma said the Guyanese company was registered on October 6, 2022, while its first contract in Guyana was awarded in 2026 following a national competitive bidding process conducted through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).

“Sigma Engineers Ltd has been incorporated and operating in Bangladesh since 2003,” the company said in a statement issued on Monday. Sigma also rejected claims surrounding Aqtar Ali, the brother of President Dr Irfaan Ali, noting that he was engaged in a senior technical consultant capacity. “He has no affiliation with the company in Bangladesh,” the company stated.

Calumnious, unsubstantiated, defamatory

Meanwhile, Attorney-at-law Kashir A. Khan, acting for Aqtar Ali, issued a letter dated August 17 to Mohamed demanding that statements made about his client in the video be withdrawn. The letter identifies several statements attributed to Mohamed including claims that Sigma Engineers is “Aqtar’s company,” that Aqtar was involved with the company’s financials and that he and others were attempting to “rob taxpayers.” Khan stated that his client is “not a director or shareholder in any of the companies referenced in the video clip, nor has he ever been.” The attorney further rejected the allegation that Aqtar intended to “rob taxpayers,” describing the statements as “calumnious, unsubstantiated and defamatory.”

“My client asserts that your statements about him in the video clip are calumnious, unsubstantiated and defamatory in their entirety,” the lawyer wrote. Khan warned that any repetition or further publication of the statements, whether electronically or otherwise, would further amplify what he described as their defamatory nature.

“These baseless allegations must be withdrawn forthwith in the appropriate manner, failing which my client will take legal action as may be advised to protect his reputation, without further notice,” the letter stated. Sigma Engineers similarly said it has engaged legal counsel and intends to pursue appropriate legal action over what it described as misinformation being circulated on social media. “As the company continues to engage its legal counsel on this matter, further information regarding its operations and the issues raised will be provided at the appropriate time,” the company said. Sigma added that it remains committed to operating in accordance with Guyana’s laws and regulations and maintaining standards of professionalism, accountability and integrity. “The company respects due process and believes that public discourse concerning businesses operating in Guyana should be grounded in accurate and verifiable information,” it said.

Series of claims

The allegations against Sigma Engineers Limited Inc are the latest claims made by Mohamed through Team Mohamed’s Facebook page that have prompted responses from various organisations and authorities. Local contractors, as well as the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Enmore Regional Hospital, have recently issued statements providing clarification or rejecting claims made by Mohamed.

Mohamed and his father, Nazar, are facing an 11-count indictment in the US in connection with alleged financial crimes, including wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering. US authorities are seeking their extradition, with the matter continuing through Guyana’s court system. Following legal challenges to the Government’s Authority to Proceed, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) dismissed the Mohameds’ appeal, clearing the way for committal proceedings in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to resume on September 3.