PETER Nygard has been accused of raping ten women, including nine Bahamians, in a wide-ranging criminal enterprise that involved intimidating victims and offering them hush money for over more than a decade. A class action lawsuit filed in New York yesterday further claims he evaded exposure by bribing local police and Progressive Liberal Party politicians. It says he bought police protection and political cover by “making regular payments of tens of thousands of dollars to law enforcement, government officials, regulators, and even to a former Cabinet minister…” Eight of Mr Nygard’s Bahamian victims were between 14 and 18 when he allegedly raped them, according to the lawsuit. Six of the alleged incidents happened between 2008 and 2011 when the PLP was out of office––the other three incidents happened in 2014 and 2015. The lawsuit describes how Mr Nygard’s power and influence helped him conceal his alleged crimes. He contributed $10 million to get the PLP elected in 2012 and paid $300 to people who would vote for the party during the time, it claims.

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