I see... So not having the figures is the same as saying no? Maybe he knew the answer generally but not specifically? Is requests for clarification or being definitive the same as lying?
You certainly have a strange vocabulary!
No.
As I stated, if you don't know the numbers, how can one possibly say whether they are higher or lower?
Saying "I don't know the the figures were for 1988" clearly said "I don't know" to a reader with basic skills in logic.