The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

TALL Pines MP Leslie Miller yesterday vowed the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) will rebound from recent criticism levelled against the party based on allegations in Supreme Court documents alleging a Peter Nygard ‘murder for hire’ plot, just as it did from ‘nation for sale’ corruption claims in the 1980s.

During his mid-year budget contribution in the House of Assembly, Mr Miller lashed out at opposition members and civic groups that he insisted were behind a plot to “destabilise the government and bring the country to its knees”.

Pinpointing members of the Free National Movement and the Save the Bays environmental group, Mr Miller contended that those spearheading the egregious attack would “see the law take its course” once all the facts have been laid out.

“We have travelled down this road before,” Mr Miller said, referring to the 1982 Pindling administration that battled corruption claims throughout its term.

“I believe what is happening now, Mr Speaker, is a repeat of the tactics that were used before in the attempted destabilisation of the then Sir Lynden Pindling administration which was elected in 1982 to carry out the works of the Bahamian people,” he stated.

“After that article appeared in the papers, Mr Speaker, there was continued onslaught by the international press, as well as, what one may call the collusion with the local press to see to it that the demise of that government was imminent.”

“As time went by, before the 1987 election, Mr Speaker, the temperature became hotter and hotter; and more scurrilous remarks were made on a daily basis.”

Mr Miller went on to recount how the then Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling dealt with the ordeal.

“I will never forget, Mr Speaker, the heat of the election in 1987. As January came around the campaign heated up. Those of us that were candidates at the time were pretty much on the run because of the scurrilous remarks in the newspapers that were coming out every single day in the United States and our country,” he said.

“Even Great Britain, Mr Speaker, The Times and other newspapers were going after (us) all. It was a concerted effort to get rid of the Progressive Liberal Party at that time.”

Mr Miller also recalled how the then opposition, led by Sir Kendal Isaacs, attempted to jumpstart that party’s campaign by attacking the Pindling administration.

He said the opposition called a rally, one that was attended by thousands.

Addressing the aftermath of that “mega rally” Mr Miller said: “(The next day Mr Pindling) called a meeting with all of us down at headquarters around 9am. We were sort of taken aback, we were scared - at least I was, being a rookie for the first time running. I thought our end had come.

“One of the reporters asked him how he felt about what had transpired that night and he said to them, ‘It really didn’t bother me that much because half of those who were there were my supporters, I sent them there’.”

Mr Miller said during that very same meeting, Sir Lynden stated that the party would hold a rally of its own to respond to the FNM.

“So everybody prepared themselves and low and behold that Saturday night we had about 10,000 people more than what the opposition had. Of course, Monday morning the press went after (Pindling) again and asked him how was it that (he) was able to lure more people (to the PLP rally) than the opposition had done when (everyone) thought it was over.

“He said: ‘If you see the bear and me fighting, help the bear.’ We won that election (in 1987). I was amazed.”

Mr Miller further stressed that the PLP was the party that looked out for the livelihood of the everyday Bahamian.

“I think what is happening now, Mr Speaker, is a repeat and it bothers me as a Bahamian because what it brings in (question) is the leadership of people of colour in our country, that certain people who live among us – money people – for their own selfish reasons would try to take you out with all the power and might that they have.

“If you have been looking at the newspapers as I have, in the last few weeks you would see some of the headings – it goes on and on and on – from one newspaper to the next. ‘PM must speak’, ‘PM promised land to Nygard’, ‘PM defends government’, ‘Police quiz PM over Nygard’ and it goes on and on and on, Mr Speaker. “

Nonetheless, Mr Miller said the work done by both the opposition and private groups will not succeed, adding that the truth was clear - political factions were creating political mischief.

“I am told, Mr Speaker, that one of the wealthy ones in Lyford Cay is in fact funding this Save the Bays in the fight between these two giants that has a lot of money to spend.

“Unfortunately, the government is in the middle of this situation and I suppose it is going to continue to go on as long as there is money to be spent.”

Last Thursday, The Tribune first reported on details of a 400-page affidavit by John Joseph DiPaolo, a Florida investigator hired by Save The Bays to investigate Mr Nygard’s alleged involvement in harassment campaigns against members of the organisation.

Mr DiPaolo alleged that Mr Nygard paid “gang members” Livingston “Toggie” Bullard and Wisler “Bobo” Davilma to commit criminal acts in a two-and-a-half-year campaign of fear and violence to “kill or scare off” activists he saw as opponents to development plans for his Lyford Cay property.

That affidavit has since become the centre of a lawsuit filed against Mr Nygard and his lawyer Keod Smith by four Save The Bays directors - Joseph Darville, Romauld Ferreira, Fred Smith and Louis Bacon - and Rev C B Moss.

References were frequently made to Prime Minister Perry Christie and Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis in a series of secret recordings made by Bullard and Davilma of their conversations with Mr Nygard, which are part of the court filings.