CMC – Prime Minister Allen Chastanet, says he will ask newly appointed Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Daasrean Greene to explore the possibility of getting a special prosecutor to deal with the so-called Lambrids case.
“We have to try to make sure that there is a fair trial because there were a lot of allegations made that the former government had interfered with the system – that the police officers carrying out that investigation were moved,” Chastanet told reporters.
Last year, the authorities laid charges against four Asian men in connection with the controversial Lambrids Academy after more than 12 Asian students from India and Nepal said they were tricked into paying thousands of United States dollars to come here to study at the school that was located in Gros-Islet, north of here.
The four men, including the Academy’s incorporator Dr. Iftekhar Shams, had been charged with human trafficking and money laundering.
In October last year, Shams, a national of Bangladesh, had the charges of money laundering against him dismissed after the magistrate ruled that the case had not been dealt with within 180 days after the charges were laid as provided for in the Criminal Rules Procedures.
The then DPP, Victoria Clarke, now a High Court judge, had indicated an appeal would have been launched.
Media reports here said that the Lambrids case had “kicked up a firestorm here with political overstones”.
The former government had promised a full inquiry into the matter, which the then opposition United Workers Party (UWP) had called for.
The then government had been under criticism, including from some of the suspected students, over its handling of the matter.
Chastanet, who became prime minister in June this year, said that he was very mindful that he represents the Executive which does not have a role in the judicial system.
“I am very mindful that there is a set procedure where the Chief Justice and the DPP would have to help in making sure that the world knows that we have made this a priority and we have made the necessary resources available in order for the case to proceed,” he told reporters.
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