Prime Minister Patrick Manning claimed last night that there was a plot to assassinate him last year.

Speaking at the PNM’s meeting in Arima, Manning reminded the crowd of an incident that took place in July last year, when a marked police vehicle attempted to ’peel off’ one his security detail vehicles as he and his wife, Local Government Minister Hazel Manning, were on the way to the gym.

The matter resulted in a confrontation between Manning’s security and police constable Clinton Auguste, who was in the marked police vehicle. In March this year, Auguste was fired for discreditable conduct contrary to the Police Service regulations.

However, last night at the meeting, the third in a series of meetings being held by the PNM to educate the people on several issues, including constitutional reform and local government reform, Manning gave the precursor to that incident. He began by speaking of the 1990 attempted coup and stressed the PNMs emphasis at that time that it did not want to be part of any Government that was undemocratically formed. Manning then went on to say that last year, days before the anniversary of the coup, there was a threat to his life.

’My dear friends, what has not been said on that matter is this, we in school today, not so, we talking truth ... is that two days before that, someone walked into the office of the Minister of Local Government and told her that a certain organisation in this country was about to make an attempt to assassinate the Prime Minister, ’ Manning told the crowd.

He continued, ’That is what the Prime Minister knew that morning. Fortunately my dear friends, we did not report it at the time. Had it been reported, I assure you there would have been bloodshed that morning and certain people would have been killed. There is no question about it. I thank almighty God that we did not report that.’ Auguste has since challenge his dismissal in the courts.

Speaking about the manner in which his security detail handled the incident that day and how it continues to secure his family, Manning said, ’The Prime Minister has confidence in his security detail, who have put their lives on the line year after year to ensure that Trinidad and Tobago remains a democratic and progressive society. ... We subscribe, my dear friends, to the ballot, not to the bullet.’ He added, ’I fear no man. I am a child of God. I fear no man, whether it is Ramjack or Ji, I fear none.’

The Prime Minister also admitted that the country was experiencing an unprecedented level of crime. However, he assured that Government would use all its resources to ensure that there is peace.