Former president of the Hindu Credit Union (HCU) Harry Harnarine was yesterday slammed by Senior Counsel Deborah Peake for "totally unacceptable behaviour" as he criticised several "honourable men" for the collapse of the credit union.

Harnarine yesterday took the witness stand at the Commission of Enquiry into the collapse of CL Financial and the HCU at Winsure Building, Richmond Street in Port of Spain.

Harnarine said while he continues to fight for the HCU, witnesses attending the enquiry have spent their time maligning his name.

"I am sleeping and waking the HCU," Harnarine said.

Harnarine said when he made the decision to have the membership of the HCU opened to non-Hindus, he fell out of favour with the Hindu leaders.

Harnarine named Secretary General of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS), Sat Maharaj, Minister of Food Production Devant Maharaj and Attorney General Anand Ramlogan as leading the charge.

He also slammed former Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT) reporter Shelly Dass for producing a news story which erroneously reported that the HCU was in receivership.

Port of Spain Mayor Louis Lee Sing was also named for his role in causing a run on the HCU.

Harnarine said when the HCU started to experience a financial run former prime minister Patrick Manning tried to assist and asked him to work with former executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (UDeCOTT) Calder Hart.

However, Harnarine said he was told by former finance minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira that he had "too much mud on him" and an enquiry was ordered on the credit union.

Harnarine then trained his guns on some of the leading figures at the enquiry.

He claimed Sir Anthony Colman owned over 100 properties in the United States of America (USA) while lead counsel to the enquiry Queen's Counsel Edwin Glasgow owned over 50.

Harnarine said junior counsel to the enquiry Gerald Ramdeen's wife was once employed at the HCU and now Ramdeen was on an "insecure man" on a "witchhunt".

Senior Counsel Deborah Peake chastised Harnarine for his statements.

"This is totally unacceptable you have gone too far," Peake said.

Harnarine said everyone had been allowed to malign his name at the enquiry but anytime he spoke the truth he was shut down.

He yesterday told the enquiry that when the liquidation process was being undergone at there was a shoot out at the HCU.

Officers of the HCU security had "gunplay" with police officers including the former Commissioner of Cooperative Development Charles Mitchell, Harnarine said.

Harnarine said he stopped the incident.

Harnarine is expected to return to the witness stand today.