Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition in St. Kitts and Nevis, the Right Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas said Thursday that the Timothy Harris Government must immediately take action and stop posturing after allegations emerged that it is harbouring a Chinese fugitive.
Dr. Douglas told the London-based WICnews that if he was in office today the situation would be resolved and indicated that no issues arose when his government granted the passport, and that instead action is needed by Prime Minister Timothy Harris’ Team Unity coalition government.
“I think we need to put this into proper perspective. The CBI programme has built within it the ability of any government to revoke citizenship who has been proven to have used corruption to obtain their investment,” he said.
“When this man was granted economic citizenship back in 2013, all of the due diligence checks were above board. There was no record of any criminal activity of any kind.
“It would appear after he became a citizen and left China that prompted the Chinese authorities to investigate him. That is when it seems they discovered he embezzled hundreds of millions of dollars. This discovery and investigation was only after the government [in St Kitts and Nevis] had changed.
“I can tell you when I was prime minister that if there was anyone at all in the CBI system who has been charged with, or proven to have committed, any kind of corruption related to their investment funding, then that person would immediately be held by authorities if they are in the country and extradition proceedings would begin – we have done that to Chinese nationals in the past,” Dr. Douglas told WICNews Benjamin Parker.
Dr. Douglas believes that the government should be doing more to look into the recent claims.
“The very least the government could do it is arrest him and work with Interpol and China. This doesn’t affect his rights as a citizen. Whatever happens it needs to be looked into – our country is part of Interpol.
“What is upsetting is the fact that everything is there to get this sorted. When new information comes to light we can take action. Even China wasn’t aware, but now they have the information the government needs to take actions.
“I would be working with neighbouring countries, with Interpol, with China. Just getting this sorted out,” WICNews.
It reported that details emerged in the Caribbean media that Chinese diplomatic officials believe the Timothy Harris government in St. Kitts and Nevis is protecting a Chinese national who is on Interpol’s wanted persons list.
The male Chinese national, Biao Ren, fled his home country in 2010 and was granted citizenship of St. Kitts and Nevis under the CBI programme in 2013.
CaribUpdate reported Wednesday that Ren was first reported as being wanted in China for fraud and forgery in a report on local station WINN FM in July last year.
He is currently resident in St Kitts with a wife and school-aged son, and was recently reportedly spotted by our reporters playing golf at an exclusive resort.
In early April, under-cover Chinese police officials interviewed his son while he was not home.
Chinese diplomatic sources said that in intercepted communication on April 16, the man 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.