Lambirds CEO Wants PM’s Protection In Fight To Save His Name!

LAMBIRDS Academy CEO Dr Iftekhar Shams has what he con siders a powerful ally as he tries to salvage his dignity and material value from losses sustained following his incarceration and arrest here on several charges of Human Trafficking, Money Laundering and Obtaining Property by Deception.

Fighting on behalf of Shams is Human Rights International (HRI), which over the past two years wrote three letters to Prime Minister Allen Chastanet, the last one bearing a last year’s date, calling on him to ‘do what’s right’ by Shams.

Barrister Monwar Hossain, Secretary General of HRI, wrote that Lambirds Academy obtained every required permit and/or approval from the Government of Saint Lucia (Ministries of Education, Health and Commerce) and from British educational awarding body OTHM and that there was no question about its legitimacy.

“All the students came here legally with proper visas after getting vetted and approved by St. Lucia Immigration office, on commercial airlines, through two airports.

“After landing in St. Lucia, they were interviewed, checked and let in by the airport immigration, welcomed by the school representatives, taken to their shared accommodation, attended regular classes and practical trainings until the day the institute was abruptly shut-down only one month into its operation, without any proper inquiry by the Police of Saint Lucia,” noted Hossain in one of the letters to Chastanet.

“The analysis of the whole Lambirds Affairs clearly suggests that Dr. Shams is the scapegoat of the nasty political situation that was prevailing in St. Lucia just before the last election,” Hossain stated, also claiming in the letter to the prime minister that Shams and his Academy were “framed” in order to jeopardize the chances of the SLP Government in the last election, to get St. Lucia out of the Tier 2 list of the U.S. Department of State “and for personal/professional/political gain within the Department.”

HRI also blamed certain specific officers in the police force for the operation against Shams, saying that the operation blew up in their faces.

“It is the most expensive mistake they could have made. Their inquiry came up with nothing and they are now worried about heads rolling if Dr. Shams is found not guilty.

“Now,” Hussein claims, “Dr. Shams is worried that those disgruntled officers will try to silence him forever.

“We urge your Excellency to ask the authorities of St Lucia to ensure his safety,” wrote Hossain.

Hussein wrote that Shams is “very worried about possible harm from the police officers who are responsible for all what was done to him” and is calling “for the prime minister to ensure his safety and safe honorable passage out of Saint Lucia.”

He continued, “We will request you to seriously consider to ask the Parliament for a bipartisan consideration to give Dr. Shams the CIP Program Passport.

“He kept his part of the bargain of investment. When he proves himself innocent, the opposition political party and people of St. Lucia will surely understand the depth of its dues for the unimaginable wrong that has been done to him,” wrote Hossain.

Shams is now a free man, as the cases against him were dismissed, while others pending were dropped.

He has also filed a claim against the Government of St. Lucia for ‘Wrongful Imprisonment’ and ‘Malicious Prosecution’.

Shams called the claim against the government his “last hope” to get his assets returned to him.

His banks’ accounts in St. Lucia and elsewhere have also all been frozen at the behest of the St. Lucian government.