Opposition MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar sent a letter Monday to the acting Director of Public Prosecutions asking Carla Browne-Antoine to investigate Prime Minister Patrick Manning to determine whether he breached the prevention of corruption act and is therefore subject to criminal prosecution.The former Attorney General's letter is in respect to a judgment delivered by the Privy Council last week clearing the way for the state to sell properties owned by Jamaat al Muslimeen leader Imam Yaseen Abu Bakr to recover millions of dollars owing to the state for destruction of public property during the July 1990 coup led by Bakr.
Read the story: Privy Council rules against T&T's Muslimeen...
Persad-Bissessar is asking the DPP to determine if Manning's conduct "violates the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Chap. 11.11, and/or the common law with respect to misconduct and/or misfeasance in public office and, is therefore subject to criminal prosecution."
Her letter deals with an affidavit filed by Bakr in which the Muslimeen leader claimed that he had an agreement with Manning to help Manning and the People's National Movement (PNM) win the 2002 general election in return for the forgiving of the debt owed to the state.
Bakr's affidavit claimed that he presented Manning with a list of what the Jamaat wanted in exchange for assisting the governing party and the government. The demands included assurances that there would be no attempt to enforce payment of the judgment debt.
The Imam claimed that Manning called the judgment a “paper judgment” which would never be enforced.
The Privy Council ruled that the affidavit was irrelevant to the matter of the sale of the Muslimeen properties but had some strong comments on the affidavit detailing the alleged deal.
"In the opinion of the Board this was corrupt within the meaning and intendment of section 3 [of the Prevention of Corruption Act] and each party to the agreement was acting in contravention of the section...the whole purpose of this agreement was to obtain electoral advantage for one political party, the PNM, by means of using State property, and as such it was clearly illegal."
Persad-Bissessar's letter said it is a matter of public record that the UNC complained about the role of the Jamaat in the general elections.
"Many of our supporters claimed they were intimidated, harassed and threatened by persons associated with the Jamaat. It is equally a matter of public record that Mr. Bakr shared a close relationship with Mr. Manning at the material time as evidenced by his frequent visits to Baliser House and his conspicuous presence there on election night," she said.
"Should Mr. Bakr's allegations be true, a most serious offence would have been committed by the Honourable Prime Minister who allegedly conspired with the Jamaat to corrupt and distort the electoral and democratic process," she wrote in the letter adding that "In the circumstances, I ask that this matter be thoroughly investigated as a matter of urgency with a view to criminal prosecution against the wrongdoers."
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