By TANEKA THOMPSON

Tribune News Editor

tmthompson@tribunemedia.net

SIDNEY Collie yesterday said his previous work as a lawyer for Peter Nygard will not impede his ability to hold the Progressive Liberal Party’s feet to the fire over its members’ connections to the controversial fashion mogul.

He was contacted after his rival for party chairman, Rodney Moncur, told this newspaper he had grave concerns about Mr Collie’s ability to serve in the post because he was previously connected to the wealthy Lyford Cay resident. Mr Moncur said this will create issues for the FNM and come back to haunt the party in the future.

Mr Collie was elected as FNM chairman at a special council meeting last night.

During an interview with The Tribune ahead of the vote, he admitted he did legal work for Mr Nygard in 2008, shortly after he resigned as minister of lands and local government. However, he said his employment lasted “less than a month.” He said Mr Nygard hired him to petition the Ingraham administration for a Crown land lease but fired him after he refused to sue the government when the application was denied.

He said he has not seen or spoken to Mr Nygard since.

“I don’t know why Rodney would think that I have ties to Peter Nygard,” Mr Collie said.

“As a lawyer, in 2008 Peter hired me to apply to the Bahamas government for a lease of some Crown land adjacent to his property in Lyford Cay. “I applied, the government denied, and he asked me to sue the government. I refused to sue the government and he fired me on the spot. The relationship lasted less than a month. Once the government came back and said they were not going to grant him the lease, he asked me, he said he has a right to it and he wants to test it in court and I told him I’m not his man.

“And he fired me, that was in 2008, and I’ve never seen the man since or had any reason to.”

Mr Nygard is embroiled in controversy due to accusations he allegedly orchestrated a murder-for-hire plot against opponents to further development at Nygard Cay.

On March 9, four Save The Bays directors - Joseph Darville, Romauld Ferreira, Fred Smith and Louis Bacon - and Reverend CB Moss, who is not a STB member, filed an affidavit by Florida investigator John Joseph DiPaolo to probe Mr Nygard’s connection to Livingston “Toggie” Bullard and Wisler “Bobo” Davilma.

The affidavit alleges Mr Nygard hired the two “gang members” to carry out crimes against his opponents.

The affidavit revealed that former FNM Chairman Michael Pintard was instrumental in uncovering the alleged plot and helped track down the criminals.

He resigned in late March due to concerns about his involvement in the controversy.

Yesterday, Mr Collie was adamant that the brief working relationship would not hinder him as chairman of the FNM.

When asked if this would affect the FNM, Mr Collie said: “Absolutely not. Peter Nygard is not a friend of the FNM.”

“They could say what they like. When I become chairman, if I become chairman, I will be holding the government’s feet to the fire. Because what’s coming down the pike with regards to members of the government and Peter Nygard, it’s serious stuff and has nothing to do with the lawyer, client relationship.”

The FNM has accused members of the government of having a close relationship with Mr Nygard.

In covert recordings that were filed with the STB lawsuit, Mr Nygard says he donated $5 million to the PLP and accused Prime Minister Perry Christie of making “fake promises” to him.