Senior Muslimeen member says failed government promises led to coup

Port-of-Spain: A senior member of the muslim radical group, Jamaat-Al-Muslimeen, says a sense of betrayal among members of the organisation by successive governments whom they had helped, led to the 1990 insurrection.

Jamaal Shabazz was the first Muslimeen member to give evidence at  the Comission of Inquiry into the July 1990 insurrection.

Shabazz told commissioners that the Jamaat had campaigned for every political group in this country and was part of the One Love Movement which brought the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) into power in 1986.

He says the NAR was the straw that broke the Jamaat's back because of a promise of help from then prime minister Arthur Robinson and Attorney General Karl Hudson Phillips.

Shabazz was one of 114 insurgents who at the time was assigned to Radio 610 building during the coup attempt.

Several Muslimeen members looked on in the public gallery, as Shabaaz gave evidence. He admitted that  the muslimeen would be upset with him for some of the infromation he was divulging telling commissioners he preferred to give some details privately.