Leaves jail after being granted $250,000 bail

YASIN ABU BAKR, who led the 1990 aborted coup, was yesterday granted bail in the sum of $250,000 after he appeared in court charged with conspiracy to murder two expelled members of the Jamaat Al Muslimeen. Around 5.30 pm Bakr, 62, was released from the Port-of-Spain State Prison — about 20 minutes before lock-down. He had to be shuttled back from the Golden Grove Prison. As he came out of the city jail late yesterday Bakr was met by Jamaat members. Amidst their vociferous chant Bakr urged his followers to stay calm, after which they accompanied him back to their Mucurapo Road compound.

When Bakr appeared in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court, he was denied bail. His attorneys rushed to the High Court where they were able to obtain bail in the sum of $250,000 with one of his wives Anisa, being the surety. Meantime, Bakr was hustled to the Maximum State Prison in Arouca where he remained until he was transferred around 5 pm.. Bakr was charged on Thursday night with conspiracy to murder. It is alleged that on June 4 at 26 Citrine Drive, Diamond Vale, Diego Martin, Bakr conspired with others to murder Salim Rasheed and Zaki Aubiah, two members of the Muslimeen who were expelled by the leadership in May. The house at Citrine Drive is owned by David “Buffy” Maillard, also known as Abdullah Mustafa Muhammad. Rasheed was shot and wounded outside the Movie Towne Cineplex on the night of June 4. A woman, Jilla Bowen, was killed in the hail of gunfire.
  
Security was tight at the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court yesterday for the arrival of the Muslimeen leader. Police prevented traffic from flowing along St Vincent Street in front of the court building. Members of the Muslimeen including three of Bakr’s wives, Anisa, Fatima, and Indrani, arrived at the court for the hearing. Bakr finally arrived at 9.20 am in a marked E-999 police vehicle. Accompanied by Homicide Bureau officers, Bakr entered the courthouse dressed in a black and white outfit with a white fez. He was finally whisked into the Fourth Court at 9.45 am for the hearing. Attorneys Ian Brooks and Wayne Sturge represented the Muslimeen leader. Magistrate Lianne Lee Kim read the charge to Bakr and told him that the charge was laid indictably so he could not plead. Brooks, in his application for bail, said his client has no intention of fleeing Trinidad, neither has he any plans to avoid appearing in court. He asked that bail be set reasonably.

Brooks said apart from Bakr being 62, he was the father of 14 children. He said his client is a contractor and an officer of UNESCO. He also stated that Bakr had other duties to perform, including holding Juma at the Muslimeen’s Mucurapo Road Mosque on Friday afternoons. Brooks asked that one of Bakr’s wives Anisa be used as the surety in the grant of bail. The police prosecutor did not object to the grant of bail. However, Magistrate Lee Kim refused to grant bail, advising Bakr to apply to the Judge in Chambers. She then postponed the case to August 29. When asked by Brooks for the reason (s) for refusing the application, the magistrate simply said “the nature of the offence.” The hearing was over within five minutes. Muslimeen supporters gathered at the entrance to the courthouse to see the departure of  their leader. As he appeared, Muslimeen supporters shouted “Allah U Ackbar”. Under the supervision of ACP Crime Oswyn Allard, the police quickly placed Bakr in a marked police car and took him away to Police Headquarters.

Bakr’s attorneys then rushed to the Hall of Justice where they made a special application for bail. After a short hearing, Justice Herbert Volney granted Bakr $250,000 bail with a surety. It was all over at 11.15 am. Brooks emerged from the Hall of Justice hopeful that Bakr would be released from the Port-of-Spain State Prison within the hour. But that was not to be. A battery of media personnel rushed to the prison in time to see the prison authorities, accompanied by the police ready to take Bakr to the Maximum Security Prison. The Muslimeen supporters expressed disappointment at what was taking place.  Attorney Sturge appeared at the prison at 12.30 pm with the bail documents. He and Anisa went into the prison compound. When he eventually emerged from behind the prison walls an hour later, Sturge was hopeful that Bakr would be released.  At 5.30 pm Bakr was back out on the street on bail.