Photo: Hon. Marcella Liburd
By: E. Williams
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, May 3rd 2017 – Chairman of the opposition St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP), Hon. Marcella Liburd is demanding truthful answers to a CaribUpdate report Wednesday that Chinese diplomatic officials have accused the government of St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris of harbouring a Chinese national that is on Interpol’s wanted list.
Beijing is also accusing Prime Minister Harris of being non-cooperative on the issue.
Chinese diplomatic sources say that communication was intercepted on April 16 in which the fugitive, who is in St. Kitts and is a citizen, 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.
The SKNLP is to issue an official statement, but in a comment during Wednesday afternoon’s edition of Issues on Freedom 106.5 FM, Miss Liburd said the government’s hastily official response via the Prime Minister’s Press Secretary, Miss. Valencia Grant “is inadequate.”
“The main point of the CaribUpdate report was a payment of some US$190,000 for protection of a wanted man. That matter was not addressed at all in the government statement. Something is amiss,” said Liburd, the Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher 2 (Central Basseterre).
Miss Liburd said the country also needs to know who are the authorities in St. Kitts and Nevis protecting the Chinese national and who the protection money is being paid to.
“This is a serious and damaging charge which has remained unanswered in the government’s official response,” said Liburd, a career lawyer.
She said that although St. Kitts and Nevis has no diplomatic relations with the Peoples Republic of China, the federation is a member of Interpol.
“When did Interpol informed this Government of this matter and what have they done with the information received,” she asked, suggesting that Prime Minister Harris and others would have had the information for some time “and the people must demand information on such a serious matter than can damage the reputation of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
Liburd, a former deputy speaker and speaker of the National Assembly said she can state with confidence that the Prime Minister of Grenada, Dr. the Rt. Hon. Keith Mitchell, whose country has diplomatic ties with China, “for some time now has been in touch with Prime Minister Timothy Harris about this matter.”
“We have been told that (they) Prime Minister Harris has been promising and promising Prime Minister Mitchell and has done nothing with respect to it. He (Harris) has remained uncooperative,” said Liburd, who is of the view that Dr. Harris uncooperative attitude could have been the reason why Dr. Mitchell did not attend the April 23rdconvention of the co-ruling Peoples’ Action Movement (PAM) and instead sent Hon. Peter David.. The PAM Political Leader, Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Shawn Richards had announced Dr. Mitchell was the guest speaker.
“We call on Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Mark Brantley to address the Nation or hold a Press Conference,” said Liburd.
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