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| Former PMs Basdeo Panday and Patrick Manning. Both of them left Parliament early on the day of the 1990 coup |
Basdeo Panday will testify at the commission of enquiry into the failed 1990 Muslimeen coup is the commission summons him, but he has said he has nothing new to add.
The former Prime Minister was absent from Parliament when the Muslimeen stormed the Red House on July 27, 1990 and but refused to set up an inquiry during his term as PM from 1995 to 2001.
The former Prime Minister was absent from Parliament when the Muslimeen stormed the Red House on July 27, 1990 and but refused to set up an inquiry during his term as PM from 1995 to 2001.
Another absentee on that day, former Prime Minister Patrick Manning, has faced similar accusations and he too refused to hold a probe during his two separate terms as prime minister.
Panday told the Trinidad Express he would not volunteer to go before the commission. "I don't see the relevance in me taking the stand, but if they summon me, I guess I will have to," he said.
The leader of the coup, Yasin Abu Bakr, had linked Panday to the coup. Bakr was openly campaigning for the People's National Movement in 2002 and even boasted that he was Manning's national security adviser.
Panday told the Trinidad Express he would not volunteer to go before the commission. "I don't see the relevance in me taking the stand, but if they summon me, I guess I will have to," he said.
The leader of the coup, Yasin Abu Bakr, had linked Panday to the coup. Bakr was openly campaigning for the People's National Movement in 2002 and even boasted that he was Manning's national security adviser.
During that campaign he stated in an interview on national television that he told Panday about the plan on the eve of the attack and suggested that Panday should stay away from Parliament.
However Panday said Bakr never told him anything and he insisted that he had no prior knowledge of the coup.
However Panday said Bakr never told him anything and he insisted that he had no prior knowledge of the coup.
"I was at home, I took no part in the aftermath or the precursor events, so what can I tell them that everybody does not already know? Panday asked the Express. His statement is consistent with what he told JYOTI in an interview in 2009.
"Everybody knows what happened that time, it has been everywhere, in the newspapers, everywhere, but if they feel that there is something, let them summon me," Panday said.
Panday has already advised the commission that he has no new information to provide. He has said if he is to testify he expects that the commission should make available transcripts to him of evidence presented by anyone who has made allegations against him either directly or indirectly.
"Everybody knows what happened that time, it has been everywhere, in the newspapers, everywhere, but if they feel that there is something, let them summon me," Panday said.
Panday has already advised the commission that he has no new information to provide. He has said if he is to testify he expects that the commission should make available transcripts to him of evidence presented by anyone who has made allegations against him either directly or indirectly.
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