STATEMENT BY MS SHARMAYNE BALRAM, SENIOR FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION.
My name is Sharmayne Balram, and I am a dedicated career Foreign Service Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
I began my journey with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in December 2015 . I am the holder of a Master’s Degree in Economics, along with a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations, and I am a high school graduate from Abram Zuil Secondary school on the Essequibo Coast.
As a mid-level career diplomat, I have had the privilege of representing Guyana at various international forums, including the United Nations in New York, the Human Rights Council in Geneva, as well as in Germany, the Netherlands, China, India, and Japan.
I am profoundly disturbed, disgusted, and outraged by the baseless accusations being leveled against me by disgraced former Minister of Local Government, Nigel Dharamlall.
These fabricated claims are a direct assault on my character, my career, and my professional integrity.
The fact that Nigel Dharamlall could have used his political clout to send the police into my office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to seize all my devices and then personally escorted me like a common criminal to the Criminal Investigation Department, and made me sign a ledger confirming I was arrested, is extremely concerning to me and my family.
While Nigel Dharmalall’s actions and allegations are not surprising, they are reprehensible and reflect his last desperate attempt to deflect attention from his own troubling reputation as an alleged sexual predator and disgraced former Minister.
My lawyers will steadfastly defend my rights as a professional woman who lives her life with decency, dignity, and integrity.
I remain committed to service to my country with my dignity and integrity intact.
