Lambirds Academy Gros Islet office.
A man who is facing human trafficking and money laundering charges in connection with the Lambirds Academy scandal has said that he and his colleagues are innocent.
Dr. Iftekhar Shams, the president and CEO of Lambirds Academy told the media today that his business is legitimate and that he was assisted by local authorities to establish a school here.
Shams said Lambirds Academy is a legally registered business, which operates two campuses. One of the campuses is located in Gros Islet and another in Rodney Heights.
He said his students were also granted legitimate visas to study here.
The school’s principal claims that the group of Asian students who claimed that they scammed, were not attending classes, because they were prevented from doing so, by local police.
Shams was on Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2015 arrested and charged for money laundering. He is accused of laundering EC$706,584.18 on Thursday, February 19, 2015 at the Bank of Nova Scotia.
Three other men were arrested with Shams and charged with human trafficking. These include: Koushal Kumar Batukbhai Chadasama, Ashwin Kanji Patel and Gurjeet Singh Vilkhu.
The group of foreigners – from Nepal and The Phillipines – claimed that they paid at least US$9,000 each to an agent from their region to secure a place at Lambirds Academy in Gros Islet, St. Lucia.
At the Academy, the prospective students were to be trained in hospitality management and promised employment in the United States of America after completing the one-year programme.
However, when the foreigners arrived in St. Lucia to register for classes, the Academy was closed.
The visitors claimed to have mortgaged land and borrowed money to get to St. Lucia and to finance the course. One student claimed that he spent over US$12,000 for his plane ticket and other expenses to get to St. Lucia.
Shams and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty when they appeared in court today. They are to make another appearance on Apr. 10, 2015.