The Tribune

SAVE The Bays (STB) Legal Director Fred Smith, QC, yesterday sad he is “totally amazed” at the extent to which the government has been able to deflect from the real issues at the heart of the ongoing Peter Nygard controversy.

In a statement released yesterday, Mr Smith called it incredible that so much attention has been brought to bear on “false claims” regarding the use of the advocacy group’s finances, as well as other “irresponsible and unfounded rumours spread by the PLP, when the focus should remain on the very serious allegations of harassment, intimidation, violence and conspiracy to commit murder outlined in a recent court filing.”

He added: “Shooting the messenger is the oldest trick in the political book, yet this government continues to get away with it. These attacks on us are totally misplaced and part of a brazen and cynical effort to scapegoat a charity group with outlandish accusations admittedly inspired by a Hollywood movie.

“I am totally baffled by the turn of events following our effort to shine a spotlight on the terrifying situation we continue to face. Everyone saw the shocking hate rallies that stained our streets over the last few years; the other evidence in our claim is a matter of public record – there for all to see.

“Yet somehow, it became more important to know whether our investigator had a work permit, how much money our directors make, the contents of our private emails – anything but whether or not an admitted financial backer of the government [allegedly] launched a campaign to harass, intimidate, defame, harm and even kill some of our members with impunity.

“What about other questions, such as why did the police never investigate our earlier complaints? Why has Peter Nygard, who has been in the country at least twice since our case was filed, never been questioned? If PLP MPs are so sure of the veracity of their allegations, why do they lack to courage to make them outside Parliament?

“Why do government ministers like Fred Mitchell and Shane Gibson vilify other foreign investors, yet give Nygard a free ride despite his abuse of the prime minister?”

Regarding the suggestion that STB’s real aim was to destabilise the government, Mr Smith said while this was clearly not the case, if the unsavoury relationship between unregulated developers and successive governments happened to be exposed, so much the better.

“STB has repeatedly denounced the unsavoury relationship between local politicians with open palms and foreign investors with deep pockets and high expectations. Unfortunately, this country has no independent attorney general, and it seems no political will, so the long promised anti-corruption laws have yet to be put into place,” Mr Smith said.

On March 9, four STB directors - Joseph Darville, Romauld Ferreira, Mr Smith and Louis Bacon - and Reverend CB Moss, who is not a STB member, filed an affidavit by Florida investigator John Joseph DiPaolo to probe Mr Nygard’s connection to Livingston “Toggie” Bullard and Wisler “Bobo” Davilma.

The affidavit alleges Mr Nygard hired the two “gang members” to carry out crimes against those who opposed further development at Nygard Cay.

Mr Nygard has denied the claims and filed his own lawsuit.

After the court filing, several government MPs accused STB of concocting a plot to destabilise the government.