Manning admits mistake on UNC gift of land to Shouter Baptists

Prime Minister Patrick Manning has admitted that he got it wrong when he told Parliament that the UNC government acted with bias when it gave state lands to the Shouter Baptists.

Manning made the charge in his lengthily address to Parliament when he spoke about the controversial church under construction in Arima. He charged that the UNC government gave land not to the Baptists but to one government Senator.

Read the story: Manning defends his right to religious freedom

Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar challenged Manning on that, accusing the prime minister of deliberately misleading Parliament.

Read the story: Kamla demands answers from Manning on "Church on the hill"

Persad-Bissessar went further and got the Speaker of the House of Representatives to send manning before the Privileges Committee to explain himself for allegedly misleading the House.

Now Manning, in an attempt to pre-empt that probe, has acknowledged his error and expressed "regret" at making an erroneous statement.

He told the Parliament since he made the statement indicating that the former UNC Government gave 25 acres of land to one Baptist group he was able to check the details, which now show that he was wrong.

"It seems to be the right thing to do to correct the record," he said.

The committee will take into account Manning’s personal explanation when it meets to decide if Manning deliberately misled the House.