The AG asked Manning if he could shed some light on the matter since he used to live there and the piano was delivered while Manning was Prime Minister. Manning did not respond in Parliament. However at a news conference the next day he said the piano was there when he left and suggested that the current Prime Minister should explain.
The day after Manning's statement officials located the piano in the Diplomatic Centre. Since then there have been calls for Ramlogan to apologise and the opposition has even considered a move to censure the AG for misleading Parliament.
Ramlogan said Sunday he won't apologise and in Parliament Wednesday he stood his ground, saying that he would only consider an apology if Manning first apologises to the nation for wasting money to buy the piano, which is one of 10 bought for nealy US$1 million by the University of Trinidad and Tobago.
"I think the Opposition has clearly misconceived the role of the Opposition and they don't understand what I said in Parliament. The fact that I may have asked Mr Manning for some assistance to locate the whereabouts of a piano he purchased with taxpayers' money, that nobody knew about, is a matter that I considered appropriate," Ramlogan said in the House of Representatives.
"The fact of the matter is it was never found at the residence, it was found at the Diplomatic Centre, but be that as it may, the Hansard, when properly read, will show that what was reported and the manner that it was reported, was not what was intended when the speech was made in Parliament."
He added, "The first port of call for an apology will be an apology for the misuse and vulgar abuse of public funds to purchase ten grand pianos at a time when the country did not have enough beds in the hospital.
"When that apology is given to the people of this country, then any other apology can be considered at an appropriate time. No one can instruct me to apologise, except the Prime Minister and no such instruction has been given."
"I don't see that I have done anything wrong in exposing that ten grand pianos were purchased utilising funds which were earmarked to provide education by a university and for two years the country knew nothing about it. Not a single recital was held by anyone who now claims it was for that purpose," he said.
"I have nothing but support from my colleagues on the issue. Everyone in the Cabinet has been for transparent and good government and everyone in the Cabinet, as far as I am aware, has been very, very happy that we have discovered such a wanton further abuse of taxpayers' funds," he said.
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