THE Free National Movement yesterday accused Progressive Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis of issuing a “hollow” response concerning Lyford Cay resident Peter Nygard’s indictment.

The FNM also asked the opposition party to reveal how much the disgraced Nygard had donated to the PLP in campaign contributions over the years.

“After chilling silence since the first signs of this investigation into his top donor ten months ago, Philip ‘Brave’ Davis reluctantly addressed the growing scandal enveloping the recently indicted Peter Nygard, the foreign billionaire benefactor to the PLP,” the FNM party said yesterday.

“Davis had his staff do it by tweet as he spoke on the House of Assembly floor. That’s when his inadequate response went out.

“His ‘hope’ for justice for the alleged victims comes as cold comfort to the Bahamian people who continue to learn more about the horrifying details of the allegations of Nygard’s reign of abuse. The PLP’s top donor is accused of using his money and influence to stay above the law.

“Allegations similar to those in the indictment were made in a class action lawsuit against Nygard in New York earlier this year. That suit mentioned the vast Nygard financial donations to the PLP. No one will soon forget that PLP leaders instructed the public to treat those reports ‘with a grain of salt’, claiming they were all ‘propaganda’. So, Davis can excuse the Bahamian people for having more questions that his staff’s short, begrudging tweet failed to address.

“There are questions such as: How much did Nygard contribute to Davis and his PLP over the years? The people are well aware of the previously reported $94,000 to (former Labour Minister) Shane Gibson’s past campaign. But how much more did Nygard give them? Was it hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions? Whatever the true total is, will Davis’ PLP pledge to contribute that money to a victims’ fund?

“Justice can only truly start to become a reality when Davis takes this indictment and scandal seriously and realises his response requires more than a hollow tweet from his staff. The time is now for the PLP Leader and his party to come clean to the Bahamian people because they deserve nothing less from their elected leaders.”

On Wednesday, Mr Davis said allegations against Nygard in a new indictment “are extremely serious and disturbing and should be pursued to the full extent of the law”.

“We hope the women involved receive justice,” he said in a Twitter post.

The comment came after the FNM released press statements accusing the PLP of being silent on the matter. Mr Nygard was a benefactor of the PLP for years.

However, PLP chairman Fred Mitchell in a statement on Wednesday claimed Nygard has also contributed money to the FNM’s political campaign. He called the FNM’s earlier press statement a “distraction from the abject failures of this FNM government”.