The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE Free National Movement has appointed Brensil Rolle as acting chairman of the party, according to a statement from the party.

With his appointment, Mr Rolle takes over chairmanship duties from former FNM Chairman and Senator Michael Pintard, who resigned from both posts last week over concerns about his involvement in a lawsuit against Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard. Mr Rolle previously served as the party’s deputy chairman.

The FNM, in a statement released on Thursday, said the party’s executive committee met and “unanimously determined” to appoint Mr Rolle as the acting chairman “pursuant to the established practice and custom with immediate effect until such time as the party elects a chairman.”

“Mr Rolle has served well as deputy chairman since being elected to that post at our November 21, 2014 national convention and we are confident that he will do well as acting chairman,” the statement added.

Mr Pintard has been mired in controversy since he was named in a lawsuit filed on March 9 against Mr Nygard and his lawyer Keod Smith by four Save The Bays (STB) directors - Joseph Darville, Romauld Ferreira, Fred Smith and Louis Bacon - and Reverend CB Moss, who is not a member of STB.

The lawsuit alleges that Mr Nygard engaged in a murder-for-hire scheme with criminals Livingston “Toggie” Bullard and Wisler “Bobo” Davilma, and allegedly paid them to stage several hate rallies and commit such criminal acts as arson and harassment. It was revealed that the criminals were tracked down with the help of Mr Pintard.

Bullard and Davilma were compensated for their “evidence”; however, the men later claimed in court documents filed by Mr Nygard last week that they were paid for false testimony and that Mr Pintard negotiated the payoff.

Last week Monday, in a series of Facebook posts, Mr Pintard announced his decision to tender his resignation effective immediately as chairman and senator, positions that he held for less than two years.

Mr Pintard maintained that his resignation was not an admission of guilt, but rather because he did not want the FNM “to be distracted in our effort to defeat an incompetent and unethical government.”

Mr Pintard also said his “daily fight” will now be to “reveal the truth about this entire affair and every politician, journalist, lawyer and citizen involved in selling out this country to the wealthy foreigner and Bahamian.”

Meanwhile, FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis has told The Tribune that he asked Mr Pintard to resign because the party doesn’t “need any deflection” and has to “concentrate on moving the PLP.”

In a statement made earlier to the media, Dr Minnis also said the FNM supported Mr Pintard’s decision to “defend himself against the political attacks levelled against him” and called for Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis to also tender his resignation “based on the affidavits that raise questions about his participation in the same matter involving Mr Pintard.”

Mr Pintard was appointed to the Senate in June 2014 after John Bostwick’s appointment was revoked because of a pending ammunition possession trial. He replaced former FNM Chairman Darron Cash at the party’s convention in November 2014.