The stranded foreigners. * Photo credit: T.M. from SLAPS FB page.
Ekantipur.Com - Nearly 60 Nepali students who are stranded in St Lucia after allegedly being trafficked there on the pretext of college enrollment are likely to remain in the Caribbean nation for at least a month, waiting for the court’s verdict.
The St Lucian authorities have detained four persons, three Indians and one Bangladeshi, on the charge of conning the students from Nepal and Philippines by assuring them admission at Lambirds Academy.
When the students reached St Lucia, they had found out that the authorities there had closed the college in Gros Islet on human trafficking and money laundering charges.
The defendants, including Dr Iftekhar Shams, the CEO of Lambirds, were produced before a local court on Wednesday.
A newspaper reported that the defendants pleaded not guilty before the judge. The newspaper mentioned that during the court session, Dr Shams claimed that he had followed all rules and regulations to acquire the permission to operate the college. To support his statement, he also claimed that Lambirds operates two colleges in Gros Islet and Rodney Heights.
It was disclosed during the hearing that Dr Shams had transferred 700,000 US dollar from an account at local Scotia Bank, which the defendant claimed had been transferred to the US-based affiliate institute of Lambirds.
The court has set the next hearing on April 10.
One of Nepali students told the Post that it was too early to tell what the court verdict will be. Nevertheless, he said, they were hopeful about getting their money back.
“There is a likelihood of the court asking the accused to reimburse the money or operate the classes if they had really fulfilled all legal obligations to run the college. We are set to remain here until the next hearing,” he said.
Meanwhile, several students have reportedly run out of money to support themselves. Many of them are getting assistance from local residents. These students had paid up to Rs 2 million for admission at Lambirds which had promised guaranteed credit transfer to its US-based college after one year.
While 18 of the Nepali students managed to return home a few weeks ago, nearly 60 others are still languishing in St Lucia.
They had applied for admission at Lambirds through education consultancies in Kathmandu, Bharatpur and Biratnagar, namely Excellent Int’l Educational Institute, Kathmandu Multiconsult, Learn Care Educational Consultancy, Perception Consultancy, Progressive Learning Centre and Engineering Concern, Significant Education Consultancy, Toppers Academy Foundation, Euro Immigration,Visa Abroad Consultancy, and Black Grain Solution Pvt Ltd.
Pawal Kumar Shah of Excellent Int’l Education Institute said they have sought the government’s help in the case.
“Many things are still unclear, including the legality of the college. If the operators of Lambirds Academy had indeed fulfilled all legal requirements to run the college, the court could lift the closure,” Shah said. “We will also ask the government to communicate with the St Lucian government in relation with the case. It will ensure the return of money.”
The Nepali authorities have not received any formal complaint about the case, nor the request to bring the stranded students back home.
Earlier this week, Nepal’s Chief Secretary Leela Mani Paudyal had told the Post that the education consultancies should also be held accountable in the case, for they were responsible for sending the students to St Lucia.