BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – PRIME MINISTER Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris disclosed yesterday (May 31) that Ren Biao, the Chinese national with St. Kitts and Nevis economic citizenship, was being investigated by members of the local main law enforcement agency.
Dr. Harris was at the time responding to questions from reporters at his second press conference for the month concerning the whereabouts of Biao and allegations of him being detained by local police.
In response, the Prime Minister categorically stated that it was indiscreet for him to comment on matters that are actively under investigation.
“In relation to the Chinese matter, I perhaps would defer to the Commissioner of Police, but to say that I had reported that this was an active investigation. And on matters of active investigation, it’s not prudent policy to comment on it. I could however say that I am advised, I am advised that the personalities of interest, they have been with the police and I wouldn’t want to say more.”
Biao is on Interpol’s Wanted List for allegedly swindling over US$100M from a Chinese-state firm in that Southeast Asian country.
According to the Opposition, Biao was residing on St. Kitts with his wife and son since 2014 but they could not have been located by the authorities and suggested that they had fled the jurisdiction.
However, Dr. Harris slammed the Opposition St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party for uttering that remark, claiming that its members were peddlers of “fake news” and that they had set out to harm the Federation’s reputation.
“I would say then that there was considerable mischief, calculated to harm the reputation of the country by members of the opposition who went to the public and paraded the fake news that these persons were missing in action, that they had fled the country. I can’t understand, for the life of me, how people who reputedly served the country in leadership for 20 years could have such venom against a country that they would do anything to bring its reputation into disrepute by propagating a known calculated lie that these personalities are missing?”
Dr. Harris noted that the Opposition “well know the procedure with regards to the classification of persons as missing”, and insinuated that for persons to do that to the country “disqualify those aspirants for ever again holding public office”.
According to media reports, Biao was detained overnight in Nevis by officers of that Division before his arrival in St. Kitts yesterday morning (May 31).
According to Prime Minister Harris, the investigations are currently being conducted and the Government is allowing due process to take its course before a decision could be made on Ren Biao’s extradition.
