By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday said it is not surprising that several leading government members are at the centre of ongoing allegations of a murder-for-hire plot involving Canadian fashion designer Peter Nygard, as he urged Bahamians to remain committed to ridding the country of corruption.

The statement comes amid a firestorm of criticism directed at the Free National Movement leader after he admitted to The Tribune last week that he met three times with one of the criminals, Livingston “Toggie” Bullard, who is also a part of the controversy.

According to court documents, Mr Nygard is accused of paying Bullard and Wisler “Bobo” Davilma to commit criminal acts.

Dr Minnis said Bullard first met with him at his home to pass on a message to former Senator and FNM Chairman Michael Pintard that he was about to be “set up” by high-ranking members of government.

He met with the “gang member” two more times when Bullard, who is his constituent, gave him fish. He was adamant that the two men never discussed Mr Nygard.

Meanwhile, The Tribune has been told by a trusted source that veteran FNMs and staunch supporters are angered at Dr Minnis’ handling of the controversial matter, arguing that as party leader he should have never been involved in the situation. It is understood that there are ongoing conversations on how the party will handle the situation moving forward.

Despite this, Dr Minnis in a statement yesterday, said the Christie administration is no stranger to allegations of corruption, and so, it comes as no surprise that several leading members of this government find themselves at the centre of this latest scandal.

He said: “Over the last two weeks, the country has been rocked by a terrible scandal that has sent shock waves through our nation.

“The disgusting details of this nasty affair have caused great anguish in our country.

“While we have come to expect shadiness from PLP governments, the gravity of this current scandal is nothing short of alarming.

“The allegations range from the possible giving of public land in exchange for millions of dollars in campaign donations; to an alleged conspiracy to commit criminal acts.”

He continued: “Staying true to the same old play book that the PLP have used when embroiled in scandals past, this crew has refused calls for their resignation. Instead, they have dug in their heels in a brazen attempt to hold on to power.

“We who oppose malfeasance in public life may not be able to force these men out of office until the next general election, but we can and we must take a stand against crookedness in public life once and for all.”

Dr Minnis renewed his pledge to do everything in his power to root out corruption from every level of the government.

“The fight ahead of us will be not be easy,” he said, “but as tough as it may be, we owe it to future generations of Bahamians to give them a government free of the kind of blatant alleged corruption now plaguing our nation.

“We all know that corruption is pervasive in the public life of our country. It will not be easy to rid our land of this evil. It will take a robust political programme and great political will. But most of all, it will require that Bahamians of all walks engage and remain firmly committed to this process.

“During the coming weeks you will hear more about the Free National Movement’s plan to rescue our nation from this terrible scourge. I invite all Bahamians to take part in what must be an honest and open process if we are to succeed. We, in the FNM will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that truth and probity once again become hallmarks of Bahamian public life.”

This comes after Mr Pintard’s resignation as senator and FNM chairman last week. He resigned weeks after he was named in a lawsuit filed on March 9 against Mr Nygard and his lawyer Keod Smith by four Save The Bays (STB) directors - Joseph Darville, Romauld Ferreira, Fred Smith and billionaire Louis Bacon - and Reverend CB Moss.

The lawsuit alleges that Mr Nygard engaged in a murder-for-hire scheme with criminals Bullard and Davilma, and paid them to stage several hate rallies and commit such criminal acts as arson and harassment. It was revealed that the criminals were tracked down with the help of Mr Pintard.

Mr Nygard has since denied the claims and filed court documents claiming Mr Pintard and Mr Bacon conspired to implicate him in an alleged murder plot.