The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

POLICE Commissioner Paul Rolle said yesterday that officers visited Peter Nygard’s home in Lyford Cay last year as a part of an investigation into sexual assault allegations made against him but found that he had already left the country.

Commissioner Rolle was speaking in the wake of news that Mr Nygard had been arrested in Canada and had been charged in New York. He said after the visit to Mr Nygard’s home, police subsequently contacted Mr Nygard to assist with their probe but he refused to return to The Bahamas.

The police chief spoke to reporters on the sidelines of an event yesterday after he was asked for an update on investigations into sexual abuse claims made against the Canadian fashion designer back in July 2019.

The Tribune exclusively reported last year that six women had made formal complaints to Bahamian police concerning Mr Nygard.

However, Commissioner Rolle said yesterday: “I know after Nygard left The Bahamas, we received about four complaints and we dispatched officers to his residence and on arrival, we informed that he had left and we met persons loading all of his belongings into shipping containers.

“We made contact with Nygard and he refused to return and surrender to The Bahamas and that’s the last of it so as far as we know, he’s never been interviewed by local police and all of our complaints that came in, came in after he left.”

It is unclear what this means for the status of those investigations, with Commissioner Rolle referencing sub judice rules to reporters as to why he won’t discuss the matter any further even though Mr Nygard was not charged in The Bahamas’ jurisdiction.

“The matter as it relates to Nygard is now sub judice and I can’t comment on those,” he said.

Earlier this year, National Security Minister Marvin Dames told this newspaper that an investigation would be launched into claims that Mr Nygard concealed his alleged sexual crimes by bribing local law enforcement officials after the issue was brought to surface in the New York class action lawsuit filed against him.

Asked about these investigations yesterday, Commissioner Rolle maintained the police force has not received any official complaints of “complicity” between local officers and Mr Nygard.

“We have not received any complaints about complicity of any officers of the Royal Bahamas Police Force currently or present,” he said. “…But like, I said. I’m not going to go any further with that and the matter is now before a judge and please don’t draw this Commissioner into that.”

Last night Greg Gutzler, who represents women included in a New York civil action against Nygard, told The Tribune he hoped inquiries here would continuie.

“We hope the Bahamas authorities will pursue justice for the victims. And while we understand the importance of doing a thorough investigation, justice delayed is justice denied. We would think it’s doubly important for the Bahamian authorities to address the allegations of government corruption as well,” said Mr Gutzler.

Nygard’s arrest came months after the class action lawsuit was filed in New York accusing him of raping numerous women, many of them Bahamians.

In a statement released Tuesday, the US Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York said Mr Nygard was taken into custody on Monday in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada by Canadian authorities at the request of US officials.

According to the Southern District of New York, his alleged misconduct arises “out of a decades-long pattern of criminal conduct involving at least dozens of victims in the United States, The Bahamas and Canada, among other locations.”

He has been charged with one count of racketeering, one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, three counts of sex trafficking of a minor and by force, fraud or coercion, one count of transportation of a minor for purpose of prostitution, two counts of transportation for purpose of prostitution and one count of transportation for purpose of prostitution and illegal sexual activity.

The indictment said Mr Nygard “and others known and unknown, including employees of the Nygard Group, used company funds, employees, resources, and influence to recruit, entice, transport, harbour and maintain adult and minor-aged female victims for Nygard’s sexual gratification and, on occasion, the gratification of Nygard’s personal friends and business associates by, among other things, sex trafficking, interstate and international transport for purposes of engaging in prostitution and other illegal sexual activities, and related offences.

Prosecutors allege that Mr Nygard and his associates “targeted women and minor-aged girls who came from disadvantaged economic backgrounds and/or or who had a history of abuse.”

They further allege that the purpose of Mr Nygard and his co-conspirators was to use his business, reputation and resources to conceal their racketeering activities.

US police also allege that the activities occurred “at least in or about 1995, up to and including in or about 2020.”