Published 8 June 2017
Red alert for Chinese fugitives removed, but no action on handover to Beijing
BASSETERRE, ST.KITTS, June 8th 2017 An Interpol red alert issued for Chinese fugitive Ren Biao and his who are also economic citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis, was lifted months before they were arrested in Nevis last week, but the request for them to be handed over to the authorities in Beijing to face fraud charges continue to be ignored by Basseterre.
Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris told a press conference last week Wednesday that the arrest by police in Nevis was in compliance with the red alert issued by Interpol in July 2014.
Former Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas has accused Dr. Harris of fooling the people of St. Kitts and Nevis as Ren and his wife were not on any red alert list issued by Interpol when they were detained.
Local attorney, Chesley Hamilton, retained by Biao after his arrest told Freedom 106.5 FM that his client was removed from the Interpol List on March 8, 2017.
“Today (Tuesday), there is no Interpol red alert for the arrest of Biao Ren and his wife,” said Dr. Douglas, pointing out that the Timothy Harris Government has “not done anything to the formal request that has been made by the Peoples Republic of China to hand over the economic citizens who are also Chinese citizens and who are wanted in China to answer questions and charges on allegations of fraud.”
“The Government has not done anything,” said Dr. Douglas who stated that the Timothy Harris Government has failed to explain to the Chinese authorities why he has refused to hand over Ren and his wife.
“Dr. Harris has also failed to explain to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis, the accusation by the Chinese authorities in Beijing that someone in the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has been receiving protection money. The Government has also failed to respond to the serious charge made by another government that St. Kitts and Nevis is being used as a haven for crooks and criminals,” Dr. Douglas said on his weekly radio programme “Ask the Leader.”
Responding to a press release by the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force that Mr. Ren was arrested on the Interpol red alert, Mr. Hamilton said: “questions and the information that were put to Mr. Ren Biao was completely different in that what was put to him by the police was that they were investigating the information pertaining to giving a government official money for protection and the issue that he may have obtained his citizenship with funds that were the proceeds of some criminal activity.”
“Those were the two things that he told for the reason for his arrest and having done that and having carried out whatever investigation they were carrying out, the 72 hours ended and he was released,” Mr. Hamilton told WINNFM.
