Selby Wilson on Thursday told the Commission of Enquiry into the failed 1990 Muslimeen coup it was his "gut feeling" that both Basdeo Panday and Patrick Manning knew about the uprising ahead of time.
However the former finance minister in the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) administration did not offer any clear evidence to support what he stated.
“I think Mr Panday and Mr Manning knew what was going to happen on that day,” Wilson said. “Neither of them seemed in doubt after."
Both men have always denied any prior knowledge of what happened. None of them was in Parliament when the Muslimeen stormed the building and took several MPs hostage including the prime minister, A.N.R. Robinson, and most of his cabinet members. Opposition MPs were also taken hostage.
Panday was at home in South Trinidad and Manning was at his office in Port of Spain.
Wilson said many national personalities directly or indirectly condoned actions of the Jamaat al Muslimeen before the attempted coup. He spoke at a function at Hilton Trinidad attended by many prominent people.
Wilson also said in the 1994 his party shared a platform with the United National Congress (UNC) to fight two by-elections. At the time he said he told Panday that if the UNC was involved with the Jamaat, he would not share a joint platform with them.
“So I was concerned that I was not going get into a relationship to find myself immersed in the Jamaat, giving political assistance to any party in power,” Wilson said.
However the former finance minister in the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) administration did not offer any clear evidence to support what he stated.
“I think Mr Panday and Mr Manning knew what was going to happen on that day,” Wilson said. “Neither of them seemed in doubt after."
Both men have always denied any prior knowledge of what happened. None of them was in Parliament when the Muslimeen stormed the building and took several MPs hostage including the prime minister, A.N.R. Robinson, and most of his cabinet members. Opposition MPs were also taken hostage.
Panday was at home in South Trinidad and Manning was at his office in Port of Spain.
Wilson said many national personalities directly or indirectly condoned actions of the Jamaat al Muslimeen before the attempted coup. He spoke at a function at Hilton Trinidad attended by many prominent people.
Wilson also said in the 1994 his party shared a platform with the United National Congress (UNC) to fight two by-elections. At the time he said he told Panday that if the UNC was involved with the Jamaat, he would not share a joint platform with them.
“So I was concerned that I was not going get into a relationship to find myself immersed in the Jamaat, giving political assistance to any party in power,” Wilson said.
“I sought to clarify that with Mr Panday and his response was that it is a figment of my imagination so I told him if I join the party and there is any evidence of the Jamaat supporting your candidate then I will not stay on the platform.
“That was my position before joining him.”
Wilson was also critical of the the response of the security services during the coup. “I think what happened on that day really points to the fact that our security forces were not on top of the situation,” he said. "I would concede that there was a breakdown in the security arrangement,” he added.
Wilson told the commissioners that there were many rumours about whether the armed forces knew there would have been an insurrection.
“I understand that there was a roadblock coming from the East and vehicles were being intercepted,” he said. “I understand that one of the vehicles was a WASA truck which they waved through and I understand that was the truck that carried the arms," Wilson said.
“I don’t know if it is true but I have heard those stories," he said.
Wilson was one of the men singled out when the Muslimeen stormed the Red House. They blamed him for the country's economic problems and referred to him as the "IMF man".
Wilson was also critical of the the response of the security services during the coup. “I think what happened on that day really points to the fact that our security forces were not on top of the situation,” he said. "I would concede that there was a breakdown in the security arrangement,” he added.
Wilson told the commissioners that there were many rumours about whether the armed forces knew there would have been an insurrection.
“I understand that there was a roadblock coming from the East and vehicles were being intercepted,” he said. “I understand that one of the vehicles was a WASA truck which they waved through and I understand that was the truck that carried the arms," Wilson said.
“I don’t know if it is true but I have heard those stories," he said.
Wilson was one of the men singled out when the Muslimeen stormed the Red House. They blamed him for the country's economic problems and referred to him as the "IMF man".
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