By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

ACTING Free National Movement Chairman Brensil Rolle yesterday said he was unsure whether the party had received money from environmental lobby group Save The Bays but noted the organisation did receive a donation from the law firm of one of its top directors, Callenders & Co.

Mr Rolle insisted that there was nothing untoward about the campaign donation the party received from Callenders last year despite the controversy over whether FNM executives were involved in the murder-for-hire lawsuit waged against Canadian fashion designer Peter Nygard by several STB directors.

STB Director Fred Smith is a managing partner at Callenders & Co.

“I’m not sure if it was a cheque from them (STB) but we did get a cheque from Callenders as a campaign donation,” Mr Rolle told The Tribune. “Callenders is a regular corporate citizen that has made donations to the FNM in the past for its campaign and candidates.

“The FNM is not involved [in the STB lawsuit], there are persons that would like to make it appear as if the FNM is involved, but the party is not involved in that,” he added.

One party insider told The Tribune that there were concerns at the senior level that STB gave money to the FNM within the last two years.

Mr Rolle referred The Tribune to the party’s treasurer, Dwight Sawyer, for confirmation over the issue; however, Mr Sawyer declined comment and deferred the question to the party’s leader, Dr Hubert Minnis.

When contacted yesterday, former FNM Chairman Michael Pintard said: “Not to my knowledge, no cheque [from STB] has ever passed through to the FNM. For people to make the connection from Fred Smith - he has given to the FNM campaign and individual members of the PLP for some 35 years.

“But I find the question to be a remarkable one given that in the public domain you have Mr Nygard’s claim to have given the PLP $5 million. So the focus on the FNM is understandable that a question would be asked given that it’s a government in waiting but Save The Bays is an NGO not pursuing any contracts or government decision in their interest, versus other contributors to an opposition party when they contribute with an expectation that they will directly benefit that is where the question of finance contribution lies.”

Mr Pintard went on to defend his integrity against attacks leveled by PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts. The former chairman maintained that he never “coached” individuals in connection to the STB lawsuit.

In a recent press statement he said: “The PLP’s vicious and dishonest campaign has been to make me (and by extension the FNM) the centre of the court filing (brought by private citizens) against one of their financiers. It is clear that this approach was taken so as to deflect from their own unethical behaviour, to protect an important funding source and to distract the opposition from its mission.

“Thousands of Bahamians are seeing through the PLP’s smear and deflection campaign and are imploring the FNM to stay on message about its vision for the Bahamian people and its careful critique of the abysmal performance of the PLP led government.”

Four STB directors and activist Rev CB Moss filed a lawsuit against Mr Nygard last month. The suit included a 400-page affidavit by US investigator John DiPaolo, which included testimony from two “gang members” who allege Mr Nygard hired them to commit crimes against his opponents

The court filing also included covert video and audio recording of meetings the two men, Livingston “Toggie” Bullard and Wisler “Bobo” Davilma, had with Mr Nygard.

In those purported recordings, Mr Nygard lambasts Prime Minister Perry Christie for making “fake promises” over the issuance of a lease for Crown land, and intimates that he has close relationships with several Cabinet ministers - including Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis.

The FNM has come under scrutiny after Mr Pintard was named as being the person who uncovered the alleged murder-for-hire plot after meeting with Bullard and Davilma in early 2015.

Mr Pintard resigned from his post in late March over the concerns about his involvement in the matter and questions why he did not alert police about the allegations.

The controversy heightened when Dr Minnis later admitted to The Tribune in late March that he met with one of the criminals involved in the alleged plot - Bullard - three times. Dr Minnis maintained that he did not discuss Mr Nygard and had no prior knowledge of the allegations contained in the lawsuit against the Lyford Cay resident.

Mr Nygard has since sued The Tribune, Save The Bays, as well as Dr Minnis, Mr Pintard, and others, for “libel” as well as “abuse” of the Supreme Court and Parliament.