PM: Threat to my life is not a jokey matter

Prime Minister Perry Christie in the House of Assembly. Photo: Peter Ramsay/BIS

As of Tuesday, March 22, 2016

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

PERRY Christie passionately defended his reputation yesterday in the face of repeated claims by Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn that the Prime Minister was allowing Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard to refer to him continuously in disparaging terms.

Mr Christie also again addressed death threats directed at him, which were contained in an affidavit filed by a US investigator on behalf of environmental group Save the Bays (STB) on March 9.

The threat came from one of two “gang members” - Livingston “Toggie” Bullard and Wisler “Bobo” Davilma - as they spoke to Mr Nygard in secret video recordings submitted with the STB affidavit.

He told Parliament “my life is not a jokey affair” as he warned that anyone found culpable during the police investigation into claims raised in the STB affidavit would face serious consequences.

At one point Mr Christie asked the Montagu MP: “What are your asking me to do, put a gun to his (Mr Nygard’s) head? What are you asking me to do?”

Mr Lightbourn also alleged that the government “was in bed” with Mr Nygard, claiming that it had done nothing regarding issues with Mr Nygard’s altering of the coastline at his Lyford Cay estate.

However, Mr Christie said the government could not take action in this matter because of an injunction that has been in place for years.

Mr Christie also accused hedge fund billionaire Louis Bacon, Mr Nygard’s neighbour, of funding a campaign to impugn his character by “perpetuating a lie”. He said this cost the billionaire more than $8.5m.

“When I informed the House that this matter was the subject of a police investigation I wanted to authenticate this because in those same comments there is reference to me being killed,” Mr Christie said. “Also, Mr Speaker, in those tapes there is reference to people being given money on the basis to kill. I never, Mr Speaker, never allowed myself to accept any derogatory statement about me.

“The record will reflect my position on every ground when this started Mr Speaker so that the member for Montagu would know as a condition of my involving myself with Louis Bacon, Peter Nygard (and) Bobby Kennedy. I required them to withdraw statements that were repugnant to me in an affidavit before the courts.

“I don’t accept anything that is negative (or) insulting about me but I want to authenticate it and I don’t need to say. I have been saying this out here in Parliament. I accept Parliament’s right to accept it. I reserve my position on all matters because what Bacon said this morning in the papers that he has no hesitation whatsoever. It appears from what he said that I have not been bought. He knows better.

“I am told that their chairman has resigned and he knows why,” Mr Christie said, referring to Michael Pintard.

“I would just say this Mr Speaker; this is subject to a very serious investigation by the Royal Bahamas Police Force. I put it before the police force. I am saying my life, the life of the Prime Minister, this is not a jokey affair in some little childlike debating society going on. We are talking about people’s lives. This is very serious, Mr Speaker, because we have evidence in this country that people kill people.

“The Royal Bahamas Police Force knows every file that I have and is open to investigation. This is not fun and games.

“People will have to account for what they did trust me in this. People will have to account very seriously for what they did and what they didn’t do. This is not jokey. This is at the highest level in this country.”

Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade told The Tribune on Sunday that the probe was progressing and he was satisfied with the grounds that police were covering. He said he did not know when the investigation would be complete.

However he would not say who, if anyone, has been questioned over the last few days.

More like this story

GrassRoot 8 years, 7 months ago

Next Chapter in this thriller is called: "ME against the world". (applicable to anybody that thinks this is applicable to him).

GrassRoot 8 years, 7 months ago

I think the next brain fart from Fitzgerald & Co should be "Bacon paid STB to pay the thugs to kill the PM. And Nygard is an innocent bystander." - I think that would be the logical extension of their thinking process.

TalRussell 8 years, 7 months ago

Comrade PM you couldn't be more right.
The 'people' are Not A Jokey Matter, and each PLP and red shirts MP's were sent to the People's Honourable House of Assembly, to represent their collective interests, not that of the special interests, politically connected, and interfering in nation's business foreigners.
Most damn certainty, not to have ANY association with criminal thugs of foreigners deep pockets. PM, PLPs and PLP cabinet, and all red shirt MP's and Senators, if the shoes fits, wear them. if they doesn't - immediately appoint a Royal Commission of Inquiry, made up of senior, respected panel members - selected far away from Bahamaland.
There is can be NO deniability that there is some guilt going around in both parties. This is what is no jokey matter.
PM 'Nasty' this Nygardgate has done turned into, would be an understatement.
PM, why in hell wasn't 'missing-in-action' Speaker Major, not in the People's House?

Tarzan 8 years, 7 months ago

Royal Commission of Inquiry- Good idea Tal. Don't hold your breath. Why do you think this government refused to let Baha Mar go to Chapter 11, Work Out, versus liquidation nightmare? Bankruptcy Trustee would have operated like a commission of inquiry and all the nasty little insider deals would have been spread out for the Bahamian public to see.

Honestman 8 years, 7 months ago

PM: "we have evidence in this country that people kill people".

Well I'm glad that's out in the open!!!

VS 8 years, 7 months ago

By golly gosh, the cat's out the bag! LOL

SP 8 years, 7 months ago

Must have taken PM's whole herd of dumb goats to arrive at that conclusion!

killemwitdakno 8 years, 7 months ago

But when police know which gang members plot to kill others, no probe nor prevention.

John 8 years, 7 months ago

So who said that the QC who likes to sue everyone has been acting like a little school girl over the pass few days? Has the QC really gone into hiding?

sheeprunner12 8 years, 7 months ago

The Bahamas would not want a political assassination to add to the serious crime problem that we have now ............. that would complete our national demise ........... let Perry just die of natural "guilty conscience" causes

SP 8 years, 7 months ago

Maybe PM Christie has a plan?.......NOT!

Emac 8 years, 7 months ago

So all it took was a threat to get this man all riled up, to take notice and stop doing that dumb azz shuffle??? Hmmm...Welcome to planet earth Christie! The rest of us that ride the streets of Nassau face daily threats; Dangerous driving by wild motorists, daily robberies, inhalation of poisonous fumes from the city dump, high prices due to VAT and other taxes that result in heart problems, the cloaking of criminals in our society by your government that put other peoples lives in danger, because the criminals know that they can get by scot free, the constant gibberish that come out of your mouth which pollutes the air with even more dangerous fumes etc...

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