Published 9 May 2017
Protesters demand PM Harris deals with china fugitive issue
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, May 8th 2017 – Protesters demanded Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris deal with the issue of the Chinese fugitive, China says he is getting protection in Basseterre by the local authorities.
Prime Minister Harris walked into the placard bearing protesters when leaving a radio programme hosted by his Ambassador, Michael Oliver Powell, Special Envoy in Harris’ office.
Protesters were also standing outside the Office of the Prime Minister on Church Street in Basseterre, demanding that Dr. Harris deal with the request by China to hand over one of its nationals. China accuses Ren Biao, who holds Chinese and St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship, of swindling over US$100 million from a Chinese state firm.
China, which does not have a formal relationship with Basseterre, said it has made a formal request, through a third party Caribbean government to St. Kitts and Nevis, but Prime Minister Harris and his government are uncooperative.
China said Monday it will issue an official statement this week on the Chinese fugitive issue.
The diplomat told CaribUpdate that Beijing will this week issue a formal statement on one of its national St. Kitts and Nevis is refusing to handover Ren Biao, who is on Interpol’s wanted list and is accused of stealing US$100 million from a Chinese state company.
CaribUpdate said it has been told by one senior Chinese diplomat late Sunday that the official statement has already being received in Chinese by all embassies in the region and is being translated in English for release.
The senior diplomat whose Caribbean posting comes to an end this month as also raised the spectre of Beijing moving against a number of agents for the St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship by Investment programme based in Hong Kong.
A Chinese diplomat said that Chinese police spent a week in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis with the full knowledge of the country’s top security apparatus as well as officials of the Government.
Chinese diplomatic sources intercepted communication on April 16, in which Ren called relatives in Beijing seeking an additional US$190,000 to help to continue pay for what he reportedly described as his protection by Kittitian authorities.
It is still not known who Ren has been paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to protect him in St. Kitts and Nevis.
