“It is understood that he gave his testimony to police in return for a reduction of a seven-year sentence for smuggling three migrants.” So HB is getting financial compensation AND a reduced sentence. To me, he is either getting a deal and HB is involved with MM in some way but isn’t the main perpetrator so he is getting a ‘reward’ for giving the info about CB and it would explain why he hasn’t come forward in so long as he did not have an incentive OR this info will lead to CBs arrest as it’s very vital.
The article also said that a child had been raped at the 2007 dragon festival which CB may have attended.
This would tend to indicate that the bar room confession was invented to obscure this witness.