By: E. Williams
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, JULY 5TH 2017 – St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris is yet to respond to reports that another Chinese national with St. Kitts and Nevis economic citizenship and wanted by China, is in St. Kitts.
Antigua and Barbuda has confirmed that its security personnel at the VC Bird International Airport recently interviewed a Chinese national, who was in transit on his way to St. Kitts and Nevis.
The Antigua Observer newspaper said acting on information received, the local airport security personnel interrogated XIanbin Li, a Chinese national, who was in possession of a St Kitts and Nevis passport.
The authorities were alerted that there was an arrest warrant for XIanbin Li for embezzlement, as he travelled through Antigua’s VC Bird International Airport on his way to Basseterre.
Xlanbin Li, who also possessed a Canadian investor visa was checked and interviewed at VC Bird International Airport as he headed to St. Kitts and Nevis. Forty-nine year old Xianbin Li has been identified as the subject of an active arrest warrant in China for fraudulently obtaining bank loans and embezzling money from his own businesses totalling US$20 million.
Antigua’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Charles “Max” Fernandez told OBSERVER media that Antigua was just a transit point for Xlanbin Li as he was on route to St. Kitts and the appropriate checks were made in Antigua and the St. Kitts authorities were notified of his information before he arrived in Basseterre.
China, which does not have diplomatic relations with St. Kitts and Nevis said the twin-island Federation was fast becoming a haven for criminals by harbouring Chinese fugitive Ren Biao and accused Prime Minister Harris of being un-cooperative on the issue. Biao is wanted in China for defrauding a state-owned company of US$100 million.
China also said it intercepted communication on April 16 in which the fugitive, who is in St. Kitts and is an economic citizen, called relatives in Beijing seeking an additional US$190,000 to help to continue pay for his protection by Kittitian authorities.
The Government first denied having formal information on the Ren Biao matter, but regional media outlet, CaribUpdate said its own investigation reveals that the issue was raised via Grenada with the Timothy Harris-led Administration in January this year.
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 Grenada.
This was 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.
At a 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 by Grenada Financial Intelligence Unit officials in April this year.
Kittitian security officials met for a full week in Basseterre with Chinese security officials over the issue in early April after they were granted a visa waiver.
Ren Biao was held for questioning by police in Nevis and released. His local lawyer Chesley Hamilton said his client and his family were awaiting new passports from the St. Kitts authorities.
