Communication by The Hon. Dr. Hubert A. Minnis, MP on a matter of grave public importance 14th March, 2016:
Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask a series of questions on a matter of grave and urgent public importance which has arisen since last we sat in this House.
Late last week serious allegations made against members of this government and contained in a sworn affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, as well as several audio and video-taped conversations involving the Permanent Resident Peter Nygard, were published in the local media, and have subsequently been picked up and carried by several International media outlets.
Mr. Speaker, the allegations and comments recorded to have been made by Peter Nygard and two gangsters, at least one of whom being a former convicted criminal, are of the most scurrilous and serious nature: comprising allegations of payments to fund the general elections campaign of the governing Party with the expectation of obtaining rewards by the exercise of government power and authority, particularly over the leasing of Crown
Land; unfavourable allegations against the Prime Minister to exert pressure upon the Prime Minister; compromising allegations against the Deputy Prime Minister; and the open discussion of violence, intimidation, threats of harm, and even of murder by assassination of persons who were considered to be inimical to the interests of Peter Nygard have all been fully aired in documentation before the Supreme Court, and video clips available to the general public and, indeed, the wider World.
Is this not a most sordid and deplorable state of affairs?
Despite these grave and serious allegations, statements and assertions by Nygard and his associates it must be noted by all right-thinking people that there has apparently been no intervention by the Royal Bahamas Police Service to interview Nygard, or to investigate these very serious allegations which, if true, amount to several criminal conspiracies, bribery, and possibly even a criminal plot to murder innocent persons.
Why have the Police apparently failed to act?
Why, in respect of Mr. Nygard’s claims to have paid moneys to advance his interests, has the Attorney General apparently failed to act under the Prevention of Corruption and Bribery Act?
Mr. Speaker, today we are once again as a People confronted by very serious allegations of illicit payments to serving Cabinet Ministers, complicity in gang activities, and an apparent expressed expectation on the part of Nygard that he was owed some governmental favours as a result of his having given the PLP some $5,000,000.00 to fight the last general elections campaign.
The silence from members of this government, particularly the Prime Minister, speaks volumes, and speaks such volumes very loudly.
Mr. Speaker, I call upon the Prime Minister to bow to, and to observe, the hallowed Rules and Parliamentary Conventions and to immediately give a full explanation to the Bahamian People of the details of his personal involvement if any and any commitments that he might have made to Peter Nygard at any time up to and including the present date.
The Prime Minister should also explain to the Bahamian People what official steps are being taken by all Law enforcement agencies to fully and properly investigate the very serious allegations of murder plots and threats to harm innocent people.
The Prime Minister should also explain to the Bahamian People what steps are being taken by the Attorney General to carry out her legal and Constitutional duty to fully and properly investigate what appear to be very specific allegations of bribery of serving Cabinet Ministers.
