Published 24 February 2018
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
by: Media Source
Will India accuse the Harris-led government of making St. Kitts and Nevis “a haven for criminals”
Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 25, 2018 – Will the Government of India join the Peoples Republic of China in accusing the Team Unity Government of St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris of allowing the twin-island federation to become a haven for criminals?
Indian newspapers reported Sunday that one of its nationals involved in a financial scam is in Basseterre to seek St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship.
The Government of India last Friday revoked the Indian passport of the disgraced diamond czar and moved all assets of Nirav Modi in the Punjab National Bank fraud.
“The disgraced diamond czar Nirav Modi and has family have moved to his new hideout, St. Kitts, located in the eastern Caribbean, according to a report in Mumbai Mirror.
Last year, the Chinese embassies around the world, said St. Kitts and Nevis is fast becoming a haven for criminals by harbouring Ren Biao and accused Prime Minister Harris of being un-cooperative on the issue.
Biao, who is on the Interpol list, was wanted in China for defrauding a state-owned company of US$100 million. He returned voluntarily afar a several months stand-off in St. Kitts.
China said it had intercepted communication on April 16 2017, in which the fugitive, who was in St. Kitts and an economic citizen, called relatives in Beijing seeking an additional US$190,000 to help to continue pay for his protection by Kittitian authorities.
Prime Minister Harris, who is also Minister of National Security, first denied having no informal or formal information on the matter, but regional media outlet, CaribUpdate said its own investigation revealed that the Ren Biao matter was raised via an unnamed Caribbean country (Grenada) with the Timothy Harris-led Administration in January of 2017.
“There was a direct request made on the issue of Ren Biao in January to (Miss Kay Bass), the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in St. Kitts and Nevis from the Permanent Secretary of another Caribbean country (Grenada),” CaribUpdate said.
The regional media house said this was also followed by direct communications between the Head of the Financial Intelligence Unit of St. Kitts and Nevis, Ms. Jacqueline Berry and her counterpart in Grenada.
CaribUpdate further reported that at the meeting in Basseterre, officials of the Timothy Harris Government and law enforcement officers including members of the High Command were provided with details of the claims of financial impropriety.
The Head of the Financial Intelligence Unit in St. Kitts and Nevis and the Head of the Financial Intelligence Unit in Grenada subsequently met in Basseterre in April 2017 on the Ren Biao issue.
CaribUpdate also said that Kittitian security officials met with Chinese security officials over the issue in early April 2017 after they were granted a visa waiver from Basseterre to enter St. Kitts and Nevis.
They were met on arrival at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport by St. Kitts security officials on April 14th 2017 and spent a week on the island.
Prime Minister Harris had admitted knowledge of the request to handover Biao, but the questions remain, who in his government was giving protection to Ren and collected the protection money?
Photo 1 – Nirav Modi
Photo 2 – Dr. Timothy Harris
Photo 3 – Ren Biao
