The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

DAYS after HeadKnowles Foundation sued its co-founder Lia Head-Rigby, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said he is not concerned about the lawsuit affecting future donations to the country.

He also said the government has been very transparent about the assistance it has received post-Hurricane Dorian.

His comments came after the popular nonprofit group made headlines. This week Gina Knowles, co-founder of the HeadKnowles Foundation, filed a lawsuit against her former partner Mrs Head-Rigby and her husband, accusing them of using GoFundMe funds for personal use.

Ms Knowles also accused them of violating a mandate to send all of the donations to The Bahamas.

During a press conference held at Sir Lynden Pindling Airport yesterday, Dr Minnis was asked whether he was concerned that the matter would negatively influence people’s decision to donate to the country.

“No,” he replied.

“The Bahamas is being extremely transparent,” Dr Minnis continued. “We’ve involved the international organisations (and) so we’re very open in terms of transparency. The monies that we would’ve collected, we’ve reported to you.

“I’ve said repeatedly that the minister with responsibility will make a report with Cabinet and Parliament very often so that we can be updated on what monies the government accepted and has received and how that money is being spent.

“So, we would be very, very transparent.”

In the aftermath of Dorian, the HeadKnowles’ GoFundMe campaign had raised about $1.5 million before it was closed. Mrs Head-Rigby said she transferred more than $1m to the charity’s Bahamian bank account.

However, being disputed is more than $400,000. A little more than $200,000 was allegedly transferred from the GoFundMe account to Mrs Head-Rigby’s American bank account while the remainder is said to have been frozen by WePay, the organisation’s payment processor.

GoFundMe yesterday announced the company will donate $217,645 to the HeadKnowles Foundation that was allegedly transferred. The company also encouraged WePay to release the remaining $246,483 directly to the HeadKnowles Foundation.

When contacted by The Tribune on Wednesday about the matter, Mrs Head-Rigby, who left the foundation last September, claimed she was fully transparent and compliant with the law during the whole Hurricane Dorian fundraising process and may file a countersuit for defamation. “My hands are clean. I’m just so disappointed in Gina and this hunt for money that she’s always known where it is,” Mrs Head-Rigby said.

“We sent over a $1 million that was frozen by Ministry of Finance, the other money that she asked to be frozen for the GoFundMe that we pay because she said they were taking too long and they wanted to know where the money was.

“Everything was sent and the monies that I kept on this end for the operation budget. . .you know, as a Bahamian/American over here, I am fundraising. There’s nobody I can call here like in Nassau. . .we had quite a few volunteers for a week and that was that.”

According to the lawsuit, Ms Knowles and Mrs Head-Rigby had known each other for some 20 years before they began working together on disaster relief in 2015. On Wednesday, Mrs Head-Rigby said she still loves her former colleague, despite the allegations.

“We did love each other,” she said. “I still love Gina. . .my hands are clean and it will come out in the end.”