On the 30^th anniversary of the 1990 attempted coup, Imam Yasin Abu Bakr, the man who led the insurrection says he is not at all sorry for attempting to over throw the government.

He says while he regrets that 26 people were killed and many more hurt on July 27^th 1990, he says he will not apoligise for staging the coup.

Mr. Abu Bakr says members of the Jamaat al Muslimeen were right and the State was wrong.

He says this was the view of the Privy Council and he is standing by that.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Mr. Abu Bakr expressed remorse for those who lost loved ones during the coup.

He said he does not apologise for risking his life and that of 113 members of the Jamaat who attempted to remove an unpopular and oppressive N.A.R government led by then Prime Minister ANR Robinson.

Mr. Abu Bakr said many people died at the hands of the police, adding that at least 18 were killed during looting.

He also said he would take legal action against any media house that reports him as apologising for the attempted coup.

Speaking with Newscenter 5 today, today, Mr. Babu Bakr says the ruling of the Privy Council must be upheld.

President of the Republic, Paula Mae Weeks said she observed that in a recent affidavit, Mr. Abu Bakr said he was sorry for all the pain he caused the nation and it was time for closure.

In her message on the 30^th anniversary of the insurrection the President said, some thought that his words amounted to an apology and were a welcome, though belated step towards reconciliation.

She added that Mr. Abu Bakr later strongly denied that he had ever apologised to the nation for 1990.

President Weeks said it was an affront to the victims and the country as a whole that in his affidavit, Mr. Abu Bakr attempted to determine when closure should be had, especially having abjured any remorse or regret for the attempted coup and the consequent events.

She said while the country may never get an unequivocal apology from Mr. Abu Bakr, citizens must be the drivers of effecting their own reconciliation.

The President said she was heartened to see religious leaders call for a day of prayer to commemorate this dark chapter of the nation’s history and to show gratitude for the democracy citizens enjoy today.