The former prime minister was referring to statements that Ramlogan made Friday in relation to Copeland's involvement with the G-pan project.
Ramlogan told reporters the government is taking legal action against Copeland, chairman of the Steelpan Initiative Committee (SIC) and Steelpan Initiative project (SIP), and three associates for registering the Percussive Harmonic Instrument (PHI) pan as their own, for selling the G-pan and for "hijacking" these inventions for personal commercial gain.
Ramlogan said Manning and Copeland were friends and expressed concern that Manning made no attempt to stop Copeland from the private commercial gain from sales of the pan.
In a media release Manning Manning said while the G-pan was commissioned through Cabinet approval, his government did not commission the development of the PHI pan.
"Indeed when the G-pan was commissioned, the PHI pan was already in its final stages of development. Both projects continue to remain separate and apart," he stated.
Manning called Copeland "a patriotic citizen" as described Ramlogan's statements as "wild allegations", noting that the government was not involved in the PHI project.
"No one can claim ownership of the G-pan", Manning said, adding that Copeland and others are "entitled to market the PHI as they see fit, since it was they who clearly developed this percussion instrument for the steelband".
Manning accused Ramlogan of "grasping at straws" in a bid to pin allegations of corruption against the PNM administration.
"They are also hoping, with these regular threats and civil suits, to distract the attention of the population from the incompetence of the government and the stagnating economy," he said.
He called Ramlogan's actions an "abuse of power" and stated that he is not afraid of "dealing with" Ramlogan.
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