By Prior Beharry
THE man who led the 1990 insurrection against the democratically elected National Alliance for Reconstruction government Yasin Abu Bakr has died. He was 80.
Reports indicated that he died at hospital after collapsing at home on Thursday.
The leader of the Jamaat Al Muslimeen in Mucurapo staged the attempted coup with more than 100 members of his organisation bombing the police headquarters on St Vincent Street in Port-of-Spain, storming a sitting of Parliament at the Red House and also taking over state-owned Trinidad and Tobago Television at Maraval Road. Some hostages were killed including MP Leo Des Vignes.
This took place on July 27, 1990 and he and his insurrectionists surrendered five days later. Then prime minister Arthur NR Robinson was shot in his leg.
The Muslimeen were eventually freed by the Privy Council due to a legal technicality of the State not being able to appeal a habeas corpus application.
Bakr remained a controversial figure having also been charged with conspiracy to murder. Some of the 1990 insurrectionists have been killed or charged with crimes from murder to extortion and kidnapping.
His eldest son Fuad wrote on Facebook, “To Allah we belong and to him is our eventual return. ALLAHU AKBAR.”
