The co-founder of The Guyana Theatre Company, which produces the annual Link Show, has strongly refuted the allegations here, after American embassy officials in Guyana cancelled the visas of nine company members on August 11, just five days after issuing them.

The group had planned to perform in the U.S. later this week after two shows in Toronto last weekend but was forced to abort those plans.

In an interview, published in the weekly Share newspaper here, Robinson stressed that he will pursue the matter vigorously to clear the company, the performers and his name.

"The allegations being made against us are extremely serious," he told the newspaper.

According to Robinson the embassy in Guyana granted visas to eight of nine members of the group on August 6.

"They turned down dancer Leslyn Lashley and we had no problem with that, since it was not the first time that one of our members had been denied a visa," Robinson was quoted as saying in the weekly. His visa was also was subsequently cancelled.

Robinson further stated that an official phoned him on August 8 requesting that he return to the embassy on August 11.

"When I got there, I was conducted to a back room where I met three people, including the Chief of Security and the individual that granted us the visas," Robinson recalled.

"They told me that I was smuggling illegal aliens into the U.S. and they wanted information from me on places in Guyana where documents were forged.

"While reminding me that this was a criminal activity and that I could be prosecuted, they told me that they would reconsider the visa requests if I would co-operate and give them information. They also gave me a list of four names, none of which I recognized.

They said the four had successfully applied for U.S. visas last year using The Theatre Company letterhead and they had overstayed their time in the U.S", Share quoted Robinson as saying.

Robinson further told the newspaper that he believed he knows who might have used his company's letterhead to secure the U.S. visas last year, but did not divulge the individual's name.

"It something that my lawyer is looking into right now, so there is not much I could reveal" Robinson told Share.

The company has been touring Canada and the U.S. for the past seven years, staging the 'Link Show' to appreciative audiences in New York and Toronto. The group has also made appearances in Washington and was