Dr. Hubert Minnis
WEST End and Bimini MP Obie Wilchcombe yesterday accused Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis of “misleading” Parliament as he alleged that the Killarney MP was involved in a “criminally conceived conspiracy.”
Mr. Wilchcombe was adamant that when a “desperate” Dr. Minnis first raised alarm of the alleged murder for hire plot in the House of Assembly last week - involving Canadian fashion designer Peter Nygard and two “gang members” Livingston “Toggie” Bullard and Wisler “Bobo” Davilma - the FNM leader knew more about the alleged scheme than any other Member of Parliament.
“Why try to tell us something that we can’t believe and why come in this place obviously with a plan?” Mr. Wilchcombe questioned in the House of Assembly.
“I believe the Leader of the Opposition owes this Parliament an apology because he misled this Parliament.”
The tourism minister was referring to Dr. Minnis’ admission on Monday, when he told The Tribune that Mr. Bullard visited his home on three occasions - the first time to deliver a message that his party’s chairman was about to be “set up” and twice more to drop off fish.
Dr. Minnis has previously said he did not discuss Mr. Nygard in those meetings.
He made the revelation to The Tribune a week after he told the House that Mr. Bullard and Mr. Davilma were “two gangsters, at least one of whom being a former convicted criminal.”
Ten days ago, while referring to allegations of “murder by assassination of persons who were considered to be inimical to the interests of Peter Nygard”, Dr. Minnis called for a police investigation into the claims. However, at the time he did not reveal his connection to Mr. Bullard.
He told the House about his meeting with Mr. Bullard on Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, the tourism minister also questioned whether Save The Bays, an environmental group which launched the court action against Mr. Nygard that contains the murder conspiracy allegations, had contributed financially to former FNM Chairman and Senator Michael Pintard.
The FNM leader looked on in silence while Mr. Wilchcombe carried on with a spirited criticism of the opposition party. However, FNM Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest stood on a point of order, attempting to defend the leader and the FNM, saying he did not believe there was evidence anywhere of a conspiracy.
Mr. Turnquest said: “The member refers to in his words something about a conspiracy, I don’t believe that there is any evidence anywhere with respect to any conspiracy. Now he can say that he alleges. He can say in his opinion, but he cannot refer to any conspiracy, Mr. Speaker because there is no proof of that.
“As a matter of fact it is said that there is a police investigation going on and if that is the case then it is highly inappropriate for him to be making the comments anywhere but certainly (I) request he withdraw the comment about the chairman because none of this has been proved.”
However, Deputy Speaker Dion Smith did not request that Mr. Wilchcombe withdraw the comments but advised him to restate the remarks as an opinion.
Mr. Wilchcombe went on to question how Mr. Pintard could have been “set up”.
“Mr. Speaker, what I don’t understand is set up how. What do you mean by set up? Nobody is going to tell you they going to set him up and you don’t ask how and about what. Obviously he asked. He didn’t say that last night. He didn’t say what he asked about.
“What’s so amazing about this is that he came into this Parliament on March 14 after speaking to the people in February ... asking us why didn’t we call the police. But he knew about the plot. The Leader of the Opposition knew about the plot. He brought it to this House.
“He did not call the police himself. He made it such an alarm last week Monday but yet now he says that he advised his chairman not to go to the meeting. His chairman did not listen but then in the House of Assembly last week the Leader of the Opposition said he (Mr. Pintard) worked for (Louis) Bacon and Save The Bays (and) ain’t nothing wrong with working and getting paid. That’s what he said.
“I don’t understand this Mr. Speaker, that’s what the Leader of the Opposition told us in this place. And now the chairman of the FNM has had to resign had to leave office. Its no wonder that it’s being referred to as comical.”
He continued: “It doesn’t make any sense. And I’m disappointed because the Leader of the Opposition is supposed to be a responsible individual. But why try to tell us something that we can’t believe and why come in this place obviously with a plan? A plan aimed at and targeted at members on this side. And we are supposed to accept that?
“I don’t accept that Mr. Speaker, because I believe the Leader of the Opposition owes this Parliament an apology because he misled this Parliament because he told us one thing, he then met with the people before (and) he didn’t call the police himself.
“He came here saying we won’t call the police, we are protecting somebody but he knew even more than all of us in this place knew but kept saying that on this side corruption is endemic, which I do not accept,” Mr. Wilchcombe stressed.
Prime Minister Perry Christie on Tuesday night questioned whether one of the two men named in court documents as being hired by Mr. Nygard to allegedly commit crimes, made a threat on his life after leaving a meeting at Dr. Minnis’ west New Providence home.
Mr. Pintard was named in court documents filed by Save The Bays on March 9 as being instrumental in uncovering the alleged Nygard conspiracy. He resigned on Monday due to the controversy over his involvement, but said this action was not an admission of guilt.
However, Mr. Nygard has filed an affidavit and supporting statements alleging to show evidence that Mr. Pintard and his billionaire neighbour Louis Bacon committed crimes while participating in a plan to implicate him in a murder plot."
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
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