Accelerated Capital Firm Inc (ACFI), the company which is now at the centre of a huge suspected Ponzi scheme investigation, is calling on authorities to release its Director Ateeka Ishmael and Financial Advisor and Trading Operator Yuri Garcia Dominguez and drop all charges against them.
“We kindly ask to the authorities to release our Directors that are currently in custody, so that the payments to our clients can be resumed successfully,” the company said in a statement, as it outlined other measures it wants compliance with, saying that in meeting them, those persons could be refunded.
“The company also ask, as first request, to the entities in charge of this investigation to allow our Financial Advisor to explain how ACF is structured, as second request, drop all allegations of ponzy scheme and allow the company being structured by the Guyana Secu-rities Council, as a third request, facilitate a bank account on behalf of Accelerated Capital Firm INC in order to be able to transfer the funds from our bitcoin wallets into the bank,” the statement added.
But Guyana’s Attorney General Anil Nandlall yesterday said that both of the persons in custody are flight risks and for law enforcement to let them go would be to see the case going cold and hundreds losing their hard- earned cash.
It is why Nandlall wrote to the duo’s attorney Glen Hanoman explaining that the state will use all resources necessary to ensure that the funds are reimbursed to those bilked and asking that the attorney assist the state.
Nandlall added that the state is willing to facilitate the duo reopening accounts here if it means that the refunds will be channeled into it, while they are still in police custody.
“I am informed by the Guyana Police Force that the investigations have, thus far, revealed that your client has received over $20M United States Dollars in alleged `depo-sits’ or `investments’; and that your client and its principals comparatively, have little or no assets in the jurisdiction; in consequence thereof, they both remain grave flight risks,” the letter to Hanoman stated.
“I have publicly committed that the state is prepared to do everything that is lawfully possible to facilitate to Guyana the return of the funds, which your clients claim are in disparate foreign jurisdictions. Unfortunately, all efforts, thus far, to locate those funds in those jurisdictions have been futile. I have already indicated to you that the reopening of one of your clients closed bank accounts at any of the commercial banks of his choice can be facilitated,” he added.
Hanoman was also told that he was free to liaise with the Attorney General and inform of any other measures that may assist in getting the funds back here “excepting the release of your client from police custody during the investigations.”
Dominguez and Ishmael were taken into police custody last Thursday for questioning amid growing complaints from persons who had subscribed to the scheme. They remained there up to last evening as investigations continue.
The Guyana Police Force in a statement had said that Dominguez, a 34-year-old Cuban national, and 32-year-old Ateeka Ishmael, both of Track A, Coldingen, East Coast Demerara, were detained last Thursday as part of an ongoing investigation of alleged fraud.
They have been accused of operating a Ponzi scheme with approximately 17,000 Guyanese having lost hundreds of millions of dollars after investing with the unlicensed company.
ACFI has claimed that it uses a foreign exchange platform to trade and it seems that all aspects of the scheme operate online via training webinars, WhatsApp, and emails. The methods of payment used to invest and trade are credit cards and wire transfers.
The unsuspecting were told that their monies would yield high interest from foreign exchange trading and safe overseas investments.
Taking to its Facebook Page, the company said that it wanted its clients to know that funds for them are ready to be disbursed but the duo would have to be released to access it.
“We kindly ask to the authorities to allow the clients (to) receive their funds in a corporate level as indicated by the company policies, taking into motion the confidentiality agreement of non-disclosure in every client’s contract. Protecting our clients is our main priority. Because of the current situation with our main Director (Miss. Ateeka Ishmael) and our Financial Advisor and Trading Operator (Mr. Yuri Garcia Dominguez), the company is in total hold and no clients have been paid in 5 days so far,” the company said.
But persons this newspaper spoke to, told stories of handing over monies since January of this year and to date having not received a cent on it but having had payout dates constantly moved.
“Fortunately the currents funds for the clients and pending profits were successfully secured in three physical bitcoins wallets unnaccessible [sic] and protected. The exchange took place in our two main brokers (IQ OPTION binary brokers and FXCHOICE foreign exchange broker),” it added.
The company also made an appeal to its investors to help defend its reputation and that of its directors and begged government to regularise the company, and as such persons should come forward and testify that they are not a Ponzi scheme.
“Accelerated Capital Firm Inc. says that in order to facilitate all these requests, we kindly ask to our REAL CLIENTS that come forward to assist the company and explain to the authorities that, We want to be regularised, we want to be accepted, we are not a ponzy scheme, we are ACCELERATED CAPITAL FIRM,” it said.
