Panday wants to cross examine Robinson; calls for polygraph testing at coup inquiry

Former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday said last week he would appear before the commission probing the failed 1990 Muslimeen coup only is compelled to do so.

However, he is now saying he will appear before the commission of enquiry on one condition - that he gets the opportunity to cross-examine people who have made allegations about him, including the man who was Prime Minister at the time, A.N.R.Robinson.

Robinson made various statements about Panday which suggested that Panday might have known about the Muslimeen plot. He said Panday's opposition to the NAR government incensed the people. 

One witness claimed that when the Muslimeen entered the Red House they ordered that Panday be given "safe passage" out of the Parliamentary chamber.

Panday and Robinson were allies but fell out soon after the crushing defeat of the People's National Movement (PNM) in the 1986 general election. 

The National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) was a unitary party comprised of the former ONR of Karl Hudson Phillips, TAPIA, which was led by the late Lloyd best and Panday's United Labour Front (ULF).

The ULF was the only party that had any parliamentary representation and Panday had been opposition leader. However Panday handed the leadership of the NAR to Robinson.

Panday told the Guardian newspaper the commission has written him about appearing as a witness. “First I’ve already said the effort is a colossal waste of money so on the face of that, I would hardly rush to testify. it would be a contradiction."

However he said if summoned "I’m prepared to give evidence and I would ask them to make available to me for cross examination, persons who have made allegations against me impliedly or expressly.

“I would also suggest in this hearing that people be subjected to a polygraph test to ensure they are speaking the truth in this since a lot of people are giving personal opinion, speaking from sentiment or emotionalism without basis of fact.”

Panday told the paper, “It reminds me very much of the Scott Drug Report proceedings. I hope this commission would not be guilty of the same thing as that was.”

Another former PM, Patrick Manning, has indicated he would co-operate with the commission.

Manning was opposition leader at the time of the uprising and described the attempted coup as "a family squabble". Both he and Panday were absent when the Muslimeen stormed the Red House and took MPs hostages. Both of them refused calls for an inquiry during their respective terms in office.