Billionaire fashion mogul and long-time resident of Lyford Cay, Peter Nygard was found guilty of sexual assault in Canada on Sunday and is awaiting sentencing following six weeks of trials.
The frail 82-year-old Nygard, who was reportedly rolled into court in a wheelchair with his hair tied back with a long jacket over a hoodie and tinted glasses — stood indifferent with his lawyers as the jury read the guilty verdict.
The big picture
Nygard’s name has become synonymous with sex crimes and has been categorized with the likes of Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein, prompting a docuseries Evil by Design: Surviving Nygard.
His luxurious Lyford Cay home was known for cocktail parties where thousands of Bahamians, particularly young women were invited and engaged in topless shows.
The case in which he was found guilty on Sunday, spanned from 1988 to 2005 and involved five women who accused him of sexual assault at his Toronto headquarters where he invited them for job interviews and a tour.
Nygard denied all of the allegations in this case after taking the stand in his defense.
He is still facing criminal charges in three other jurisdictions in Canada and awaits other trials in Quebec and Manitoba for sexual assault as well.
The US awaits his extradition after the Canadian cases are completed.
Why it matters
Nygard’s popularity grew in the Bahamas due to his philanthropy and close ties to the Progressive Liberal Party, donating millions of dollars to the party during its time in office in 2012.
A video once circulated, showing former PLP Labour and National Insurance Minister Shane Gibson receiving payments from Nygard which totaled $94,131.10 over an 18-month period.
Nygard’s former videographer Stephen Feralio captured Peter Nygard talking about Perry Christie winning the 2012 Bahamian election on a cellphone. Visit this link to hear Nygard’s reaction to the 2012 election: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1850003523643/
When the Nygard was arrested on Canada in 2021, then FNM Chairman Carl Culmer called on the PLP who was in opposition at the time, to publicly address its party’s connection to Nygard and join in asking for justice for Bahamian victims affected by the alleged actions of Nygard. But PLP Chairman Fred Mitchell pointed a finger at the FNM, stating that Nygard contributed financially to the political campaign too, which the FNM denied.
What Prime Minister Philip Davis said in 2020
In December 2020 Davis, the then-opposition leader was asked to comment on Nygard’s behavior while in the country, Davis said, “Peter, what’s his name?
“My position in respect to what I heard or [have] not heard about him is that I’m more concerned about what this election is going to be about (the general election of September 2021)
“I’m not concerned about a foreign action that has been brought against a foreign person who may have had an incident in the Bahamas.”
Featured Photo credit: Peter Nygard is seen in a car after leaving Toronto court on Sept. 27. The one-time Canadian fashion mogul is expected to testify at his sexual assault trial Wednesday. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
