(Trinidad Express) A hitman was hired by former president of the Hindu Credit Union (HCU), Harry Harnarine, to assassinate Secretary General of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS), Sat Maharaj.
This claim was made yesterday by Maharaj as he testified at the Commission of Enquiry into the collapse of CL Financial and the HCU at the Winsure Building, Richmond Street, Port of Spain.
Maharaj yesterday faced off against Harnarine’s lawyer, Farid Scoon, in a heated exchange that included verbal jabs from both men.
Sir Anthony Colman described the cross-examination as a “stressful experience” for Maharaj.
Maharaj had received a subpoena to appear at the enquiry to respond to claims made in Harnarine’s witness statement.
He was yesterday represented by attorney Jagdeo Singh.
“I was receiving calls on the telephone and somebody called and told me that Harry (Harnarine) had paid to eliminate me,” Maharaj said.
“One particular call was from somebody who was perceived to be Mr Harnarine’s bodyguard. I would not call his name even if you insist I call his name because I would not want to expose him to any kind of reprisals,” he said.
After being told of the hit, Maharaj wrote a letter on July 11, 2008 to the Commissioner of Police calling for the threat to be investigated. The office of the Commissioner responded on November 19, 2008 and increased police patrols around Maharaj’s residence.
Maharaj yesterday read excerpts from that letter.
“A comprehensive threat assessment was conducted with a view of determining the existing threat levels. As a result of systematic analysis of the intelligence gathered it was deduced and realised that a low level of threat exists. Patrols have been directed to pay particular attention to the area,” the letter stated.
Maharaj questioned the definition of a “low level of threat”.
“I really did not understand what is a low level of threat, one bullet is as good as six,” he said.
Maharaj yesterday testified his relationship with Harnarine had not always been “acrimonious”.
When Harnarine was named HCU president he met Maharaj to get the blessings of the SDMS. At that time, the HCU’s assets were valued at TT$5 million and the membership was around 2,000.
The relationship eventually turned sour when Harnarine chose to open up the HCU’s membership to non-Hindus, Maharaj said.
“The Hindu Credit Union is like the Catholic Credit Union and the Muslim Credit Union. It was a Hindu credit union and anybody who was a Hindu could join, whether you are a white Hindu or an African Hindu, whatever it is, so long as they are Hindu. It is not in the right of Harry Harnarine to make these decisions without some kind of consensus from the (Hindu) community,” Maharaj said.
Maharaj said the credit union was being “corrupted”.
The acronym HCU became known as “Harry’s Credit Union”, Maharaj said.
Scoon said it also became known as the “Creole Credit Union” because of Harnarine’s inclusive stance.
Maharaj said the issue of race was an “old tactic” that was being used to cloud the real issues.
“You are spreading racist propaganda. How that coming into this stealing of public money?” Maharaj said to Scoon.
Maharaj said apart from his opposition to the inclusion of non-Hindus in the credit union, he also received “unsubstantiated reports” that Harnarine was involved in questionable land transactions.
Maharaj said Harnarine felt he was “omnipotent”, adding that his head was “totally lost in the clouds” and described him as a man with a “vivid imagination”.
A file was sent to then Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Geoffrey Henderson to investigate (the HCU), Maharaj said.
Maharaj accused Scoon of trying to “sanitise” all the wrongdoing that took place at the HCU. He said the SDMS received numerous complaints from its members about getting “bounced cheques” from the HCU.
Maharaj also wanted to read a letter from Harnarine’s wife but was not allowed to. This was how part of the exchange went:
Scoon: I am sorry if you are a little bit in the hot seat.
Maharaj: Hot? I believe you are in the hot seat, sir.
Scoon claimed Transport Minister Devant Maharaj, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan and former People’s National Movement (PNM) senator Lenny Saith met at a SDMS dinner and hatched a plan to wind up the HCU. Scoon also described Devant Maharaj as being “practically” Maharaj’s son.
Maharaj described Scoon’s statement (about the dinner) as a “red herring to mislead the public”.
Scoon: So you don’t know anything about that? I am very sorry if I am embarrassing you.
Maharaj: Not me, no. You are embarrassing your profession.
Scoon: No, no, no.
Maharaj: No, no, no I am beaten to a pulp here and you are telling me no, no no.
Scoon questioned whether Maharaj approached Harnarine for HCU money to fund his heart surgery. Maharaj denied the accusations.
Scoon referred to Maharaj’s heart procedure several times during his cross-examination.
Maharaj: Are you trying to give me a heart attack? If I had heart surgery how come it is mentioned in this court here about 30 times.
Scoon: I am sorry I will not mention it again.
Maharaj: I am also a diabetic, you want to use that too?
At the end of yesterday’s sitting, as Maharaj left the witness stand and was walking toward the public gallery, he shook hands with Scoon and said: “I will still try to convert you.”
At the start of yesterday’s cross-examination, Scoon told Maharaj he (Scoon) was a Muslim.
The enquiry continues today with former HCU director Jameel Ali expected to attend.
Ali had earlier sent a medical report to the enquiry stating his inability to attend.
Dr Ammiel Arra, the medical practitioner who signed the report which stated Ali had pneumonia, yesterday testified at the enquiry that when he saw Ali, he (Ali) was sick.
Queen’s Counsel Edwin Glasgow, the lead counsel to the enquiry, said reports are Ali was seen conducting business and looking healthy.
