Jamaat leader files affidavit:

YASIN ABU BAKR, the jailed leader of the Jamaat Al Muslimeen, said in an affidavit filed yesterday, that Prime Minister Patrick Manning entered an agreement with him in 2002 not to enforce the $30 million judgment owed by the Jamaat to the State for the destruction of Police Headquarters and damage to the Red House arising out of the 1990 attempted coup.

The affidavit was filed by Bakr in response to a summons issued by the Attorney General, putting up 11 properties for sale to recover monies owed by the Jamaat. The hearing of the summons comes up on Monday before Justice Rajendra Narine in the Port-of-Spain High Court.

In the affidavit filed, Bakr said he was not the beneficial owner of all the properties listed in the summons. He said it was not correct to say that he or the Jamaat remain indebted to the State based on the judgment of Justice Joseph Tam.

Bakr said that he and Manning reached an agreement which included, among other things, that Tam’s order that the Jamaat pay damages to the State would not be enforced and that the group would not have to pay any money to the State.

Bakr said that sometime in 2002, after the 18-18 election tie, he visited Balisier House where he met with Manning and Culture Minister Joan Yuille-Williams. The Jamaat leader said the discussion focused on the 2002 elections and the levels of crime especially in the Laventille and Morvant districts.

During that meeting, Bakr said he told the Prime Minister that the State continued to refuse to pay damages owed to the Jamaat for the destruction of buildings at Mucurapo Road by the State during the attempted coup.

Before another meeting was held with the Prime Minister, Bakr said he met with his membership and a list was drawn up detailing what the Jamaat wanted. The Muslimeen wanted, among other things, the remaining lands at Mucurapo; that the Mucurapo Islamic College receive State funding; and that the State would not enforce the judgment of Justice Tam.

At the next meeting with the Prime Minister, Bakr said he raised the issue about the outstanding judgment. He said the PM regarded it as a “paper judgment” that would never be enforced and he referred to it as a dead issue for the Government.

According to Bakr, Manning had no intention of enforcing the judgment. On the issue of the money owing to the Jamaat, Bakr said Manning assured him that the $2.1 million would be paid. Sometime later, Bakr said he met his attorney, Nathaniel King, who showed him a cheque for $700,000 which he had received from the State for the Jamaat in settling the debt.

In the affidavit, Bakr said he met with PNM officials to discuss the 2002 general elections, his campaigning in marginal seats, and his appearance at Balisier House on the night of the elections when the PNM won by a 20-16 margin.

Bakr also stated that the Jamaat spent $1.2 million campaigning for the PNM, money which has not been recovered from the ruling party. He said that slain gang leader Mark Guerra was in charge of the election campaign for the PNM in Laventille, Morvant, and Barataria.

Bakr said he had no reason to doubt the ability of the Prime Minister to deliver on his promises. Having made an agreement with Manning, Bakr said he was amazed that the Attorney General applied for his property and that of second-in-command Kala Akii Bua to satisfy the debt owed.

Bakr has asked the High Court to find that the Attorney General’s summons is an abuse of process and that the application should be dismissed.