Bakr: Don’t blame me for 1990 deaths

Bakr yesterday testified at a civil trial in the Hall of Justice in a lawsuit he filed claiming damages for malicious prosecution and false imprisonment. He was charged following a raid at the Jamaat compound at Mucurapo Road on November 10, 2005. Police armed with search warrants and carrying metal detectors, allegedly found a sniper rifle with telescope, a hand grenade and 569 rounds of ammunition.

The firearm and ammunition were allegedly found in a wayfarer’s dormitory and according to his lawsuit, there was no evidence linking him to the items. Charges against Bakr were eventually dropped but in his lawsuit filed against the Attorney General and Commissioner of Police, Bakr says he was greatly injured, “in his credit, character and reputation and suffered mental anguish and pain and incurred expense in defending himself.”

At yesterday’s trial, before Justice Frank Seepersad, Bakr was asked about his involvement in the July 1990 insurrection by Israel Khan SC, lead counsel for the Attorney General.

“You have admitted to committing murder, treason and arson and that an Amnesty was given?” Khan asked, to which Bakr responded, “no.”

Bakr admitted that he headed the failed 1990 insurgency and that followers of his sect were under his command when they stormed the Red House.

Khan: People were killed and buildings burnt?

Bakr: I am not admitting that.

Khan: Why were they killed?

Bakr: Your guess is as good as mine.

Khan: My guess is that you are responsible for these deaths. You commanded these members to storm the Parliament? You gave them guns?

Bakr: I did not arm them.

The Jamaat leader said it would have been the person in charge of security at the Jamaat who would have been responsible for providing the insurgents with weapons during the attempted coup.

Khan: You were the architect of the 1990 coup?

Bakr: I am not an architect.

Khan: You were responsible for hatching the coup?

Bakr: Yes.

According to Bakr, he could not have been responsible for the lives lost during the insurrection since he was at Radio Trinidad on Maraval Road during the insurgency and no one was killed there.

“Absolutely no one,” Bakr said. The Jamaat leader indicated that Bilaal Abdulah led the Muslimeen insurgents at the Parliament building. “Bilaal Abdulah was in charge of operations at the Red House. I gave no instruction to kill anyone at the Red House or anywhere. I can’t give specifics how persons at the Red House died,” Bakr said in response to Khan’s questions.

The exact number of persons killed during the July 1990 insurrection remains unclear although it has been reported as 24.

According to records, seven people were killed in the Red House as a result of the attack on the building: ASP Roger George, Lorraine Caballero - clerical officer; Malcolm Basanta - Estate Policeman; Mervyn Teague - Government Broadcasting Unit employee; Arthur Guisseppi - ex-policeman; George Francis - chauffeur and Solomon McLeod - Police Headquarters sentry. Their names are inscribed on a commemorative plaque at the base of the Eternal Flame on the Eastern side of the Red House. Diego Martin Central MP Leo Des Vignes, shot during the insurgency later died at hospital.

Bakr was at the time of the filing of the claim in January 2010, represented by Theodore Guerra SC, now deceased and Angelique Olowe.

He is now represented by Wayne Sturge, Lemuel Murphy, Nigel Alsop and Joseph Sookoo. The Imam’s lawsuit also stated that the alleged offences were “successfully utilised as a ground to deny the claimant bail on his application” before a judge in Chambers for the sedition charges.

On January 20, 2006, then Director of Public Prosecutions Geoffrey Henderson discontinued proceedings against Bakr for the firearm and ammunition offences.

It was not until July 2006, that Bakr was released on bail after spending eight months at Maximum Security Prison awaiting trial for sedition.

He was granted $400,000 bail by then Justice Herbert Volney and went on to face trial for conspiracy to murder, for which he was eventually freed after the prosecution’s case collapse at a second trial in 2006.

Bakr yesterday told Khan that as a result of the firearm charges against him, he stopped benefitting from a US$5,000 stipend from the World Islamic Call Society, which he received for more than 20 years and was subjected to embarrassing scenes at airports.

“I am a law abiding citizen. I have fulfilled my obligations. I have paid all my taxes,” he said, adding also that the Jamaat al Muslimeen was a legally registered Limited Liability Company. While there are no shareholders, there is a board of Trustees which oversees operations of the Jamaat. Special committees are appointed by the sect’s membership at annual general meetings, Bakr said. He said he was the Imam and was in charge of the organisation and the religious and prayer aspect of the mosque.

Bakr said there were no dormitories on the compound, which he said was partially fenced.

“So any Tom, Dick and Harry can walk in?” Khan asked. “It is the Islamic way that wayfarers can sleep in the mosque until an alternative can be found,” Bakr explained.

Following the alleged seizure at the Jamaat compound, Bakr was jointly charged with Tahir Ali and Oluyemi Abdul Basist. Ali and Basist were on November 14, 2008, freed of the charges by Magistrate Avason Quinlan.

Bakr emphatically denied that he was “totally in charge” of the Jamaat compound, was the “jefe” as Khan referred to him or that no one could sleep at the compound without the Imam’s approval. “You are wrong sir,” Bakr said.

At the end of the presentation of Bakr’s case, his attorneys chose not to call two of his four wives, Anisa Abu Bakr and Indrani Abu Bakr, as witnesses.

Bakr’s attorney also got an opportunity to question the police officer who arrested the Imam on the gun-related charges.

Ag Cpl Curtis Fritz said he arrested Bakr on November 7, 2005, at his (Bakr) La Puerta, Diego Martin home in relation to sedition charges. Fritz said he executed a warrant on the morning of November 10, at the Jamaat’s Mucurapo compound and two persons were taken into custody.

Fritz admitted that Bakr was in custody when the guns were found and he received instructions from two senior police officers — Inspector Anthony Lezama and ASP Narciss Cadette — regarding charges to be laid against Bakr.

He insisted that he did not consult Inspector Christopher Holder, who charged Bakr with sedition neither did he speak with the Police Commissioner at the time.

The lawsuit has been adjourned to July 29, when the judge hopes to give a decision.

Justice Seepersad yesterday urged attorneys to strictly abide by the timetable he has given for the filing of written submissions and the relevant legal authorities to support their cases.

Larry Lalla and Nairob Smart also appears for the Attorney General.