Full Transcript for S9 "Evil By Design" E2: Carte Blanche

00:04:31.790 --> 00:04:32.370 kitchen table. 73 00:04:33.209 --> 00:04:37.709 This would be Nygaard's origin story, the beginning of his 74 00:04:37.750 --> 00:04:40.850 so-called transformation from rags to riches. 75 00:04:41.990 --> 00:04:46.060 Peter Nygaard is a blatantly successful entrepreneur. He's made a 76 00:04:46.120 --> 00:04:53.220 religion of winning in the marketplace. Nygaard attributes much to 77 00:04:53.259 --> 00:04:57.079 his Finnish parentage. The spirit of competition was instilled in him, 78 00:04:57.120 --> 00:05:00.160 he says, by his poor, hardworking parents who immigrated to 79 00:05:00.199 --> 00:05:01.819 Winnipeg when Nygaard was a child. 80 00:05:04.110 --> 00:05:07.170 Nygaard's family soon left Deloraine for Winnipeg, where he grew up, 81 00:05:07.500 --> 00:05:11.410 before leaving to attend the University of North Dakota. After 82 00:05:11.449 --> 00:05:14.250 returning to Canada, Nygaard took a job at a struggling 83 00:05:14.290 --> 00:05:17.509 local clothing company. In 1967, in his mid-20s, after saving 84 00:05:17.810 --> 00:05:22.199 and borrowing, he became an investor. 85 00:05:24.579 --> 00:05:28.370 I gambled my whole life on this deal, going for this, 86 00:05:28.649 --> 00:05:31.870 without one ounce of training at all by myself. 87 00:05:35.370 --> 00:05:38.980 Within a decade, he owned the company, renaming it Tanjay. 88 00:05:39.939 --> 00:05:41.720 This was the beginning of Nygaard. 89 00:05:42.339 --> 00:05:42.959 The empire. 90 00:05:44.740 --> 00:05:47.839 When I got in the industry, the post-war baby boom 91 00:05:47.860 --> 00:05:49.870 was occurring. And everyone was telling me that half the 92 00:05:49.910 --> 00:05:53.589 population is under the age of 25. And you know, 93 00:05:53.649 --> 00:05:56.089 I sort of cleverly figured out if half of them 94 00:05:56.129 --> 00:05:57.850 is under 25, the other half must be over 25. 95 00:05:57.850 --> 00:06:01.060 And if everybody's going after this, then maybe I should 96 00:06:01.069 --> 00:06:04.660 go over the 25. We built that garment for the 97 00:06:04.920 --> 00:06:08.399 average 40-year-old who has the average problems of her figure. 98 00:06:08.939 --> 00:06:11.759 Who tends to get a little heavier on the hips 99 00:06:11.879 --> 00:06:15.050 and a little smaller on the top. There's a shape 100 00:06:15.069 --> 00:06:17.730 that we'd rather not admit it, but that is our shape, 101 00:06:17.949 --> 00:06:19.490 and we face the reality of it. 102 00:06:22.750 --> 00:06:25.209 By the late 70s, Nygaard was becoming one of the 103 00:06:25.250 --> 00:06:27.629 biggest players in the Canadian garment industry. 104 00:06:28.829 --> 00:06:30.930 How would you like a limousine in Los Angeles which 105 00:06:31.050 --> 00:06:37.079 doubles as an office? And half a dozen Excaliburs for 106 00:06:37.100 --> 00:06:43.360 your leisure driving? A little real estate in the Bahamas, perhaps? 107 00:06:44.379 --> 00:06:48.730 and a thriving multi-million dollar business in Canada. Peter Nygaard 108 00:06:48.769 --> 00:06:52.089 has got these things by using a success formula. He 109 00:06:52.129 --> 00:06:54.949 drives himself day in and day out towards one whopper 110 00:06:55.009 --> 00:06:55.550 of a goal. 111 00:06:57.069 --> 00:06:58.509 If you want to be the best in the world, 112 00:06:58.529 --> 00:07:03.000 that's all you can pursue. You can't be all things 113 00:07:03.019 --> 00:07:05.339 to everybody. You can take one at a time, you know, 114 00:07:05.399 --> 00:07:07.170 and you can really try to get good at it. 115 00:07:07.220 --> 00:07:09.259 But if you really want to be one of the 116 00:07:09.300 --> 00:07:11.339 top in the world or tops in North America or 117 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:13.199 something like that, you can't pursue much more than that. 118 00:07:18.209 --> 00:07:21.269 As his business fortunes grew, so did the stories about 119 00:07:21.310 --> 00:07:26.040 his personal life. In 1979, a documentary profile followed him 120 00:07:26.069 --> 00:07:29.240 while he jetted between the Bahamas, L.A., and Winnipeg. 121 00:07:31.560 --> 00:07:33.759 Look at this hair all over my face. 122 00:07:34.819 --> 00:07:37.699 In an early scene, Nygaard flirts with a tanned blonde woman, 123 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:40.439 who helps him adjust his headband while he gets ready 124 00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:41.160 to go sailing. 125 00:07:42.139 --> 00:07:43.350 Look in your eyes so I can see. 126 00:07:43.769 --> 00:07:44.350 Look in your eyes. 127 00:07:47.579 --> 00:07:52.040 Now a 38-year-old bachelor, his single-minded drive is his entire lifestyle. 128 00:07:52.819 --> 00:07:56.050 We see Nygaard palling around with celebrities in Los Angeles. 129 00:07:57.290 --> 00:08:00.730 Here he indulges his sizable ego by cultivating friends like 130 00:08:00.769 --> 00:08:03.370 TV star David Soul of Starsky and Hutch fame. 131 00:08:05.569 --> 00:08:09.629 A final scene is one of Nygaard running along the beach, bare-chested, 132 00:08:09.980 --> 00:08:12.420 his long blonde hair streaming out behind him. 133 00:08:13.779 --> 00:08:16.600 You're married to this obsession that you have, this goal 134 00:08:16.620 --> 00:08:19.379 that you have. You get a tremendous satisfaction out of 135 00:08:19.990 --> 00:08:21.899 training for whatever you train. 136 00:08:34.529 --> 00:08:38.690 Nygaard soon became known as a work-hard, play-hard, playboy entrepreneur. 137 00:08:39.409 --> 00:08:41.970 Profiles often mention the fact that he lived at the office. 138 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:46.460 his Winnipeg headquarters housing a bedroom. Reporters wrote of a 139 00:08:46.519 --> 00:08:49.240 sectional sofa that transformed into a bed at the flick 140 00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:53.059 of a switch, while other switches locked doors, dimmed lights, 141 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:57.519 and piped in romantic music under a mirrored ceiling. Articles 142 00:08:57.539 --> 00:09:00.519 from the time

outlined his taste in women, and Nygaard 143 00:09:00.539 --> 00:09:04.440 himself was described as having, quote, Viking Gatsby good looks. 144 00:09:05.700 --> 00:09:08.700 For decades, Nygaard has tried to capitalize on this image. 145 00:09:09.610 --> 00:09:13.070 It was an affordable women's clothing label, But the advertising 146 00:09:13.210 --> 00:09:17.629 often featured Nygaard himself, muscles bulging and shirt unbuttoned. 147 00:09:20.730 --> 00:09:24.830 I'm not from Winnipeg originally. So when I got here, 148 00:09:25.070 --> 00:09:29.639 it was hard to miss the stores and what I 149 00:09:29.700 --> 00:09:34.820 considered those Soviet era style posters of Nygaard with his 150 00:09:34.919 --> 00:09:40.039 arms folded, his golden locks flowing and looking across the horizon. 151 00:09:40.549 --> 00:09:44.470 They were freakish, actually. It was very hard to avoid. 152 00:09:46.980 --> 00:09:49.580 Paul Mackay moved to Winnipeg in the 80s, becoming a 153 00:09:49.620 --> 00:09:51.379 journalist for the city's largest paper. 154 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:56.090 Even his outward appearance was quite different than what you 155 00:09:56.129 --> 00:09:59.950 would think of the average business person. He was certainly 156 00:10:00.009 --> 00:10:05.179 more flamboyant and kind of had a pseudo-Fabio thing going on. 157 00:10:05.860 --> 00:10:09.240 Winnipeg can be a very small-c conservative town, so he 158 00:10:09.299 --> 00:10:10.659 certainly stood out in that respect. 159 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:14.799 Even as a newcomer to the city, Paul would soon 160 00:10:14.860 --> 00:10:16.700 learn about Peter Nygaard's exploits. 161 00:10:18.070 --> 00:10:23.129 You would hear stories, you know, gossip about his reputation. 162 00:10:24.009 --> 00:10:28.149 Just that he was a ladies' man, and that kind 163 00:10:28.190 --> 00:10:32.019 of has a 1960s Rat Pack ring to it. 164 00:10:34.379 --> 00:10:39.059 That reputation stuck. As recently as 2015, Vanity Fair compared 165 00:10:39.100 --> 00:10:42.879 him to another man whose personal and professional brand was 166 00:10:42.919 --> 00:10:46.720 that of a playboy, calling Nygaard the Hugh Hefner of 167 00:10:46.759 --> 00:10:56.539 downmarket retail. Ever since Nygaard burst onto the public stage, 168 00:10:57.039 --> 00:11:00.539 his personal image has been carefully crafted. But as I 169 00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:03.980 would later learn, even the most insignificant details could be stretched. 170 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:07.940 For example, the daughter of the Nygaard's landlord from the 171 00:11:08.360 --> 00:11:12.269 1950s disputed his description of that converted coal bin. She 172 00:11:12.309 --> 00:11:14.570 told me the space was actually a heated back kitchen 173 00:11:14.990 --> 00:11:17.549 with a pump for running water, and it was never 174 00:11:17.669 --> 00:11:22.490 used for coal. But the self-promotional tour didn't stop. Its 175 00:11:22.549 --> 00:11:27.450 final destination? was

Nygaard's most celebrated achievement, what he refers 176 00:11:27.490 --> 00:11:29.490 to as the eighth wonder of the world. 177 00:11:35.210 --> 00:11:40.009 This is Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, television's unchallenged 178 00:11:40.110 --> 00:11:45.129 authority on wealth, prestige, and the good life. Our search 179 00:11:45.190 --> 00:11:48.129 for the very best never ends. And so we proudly 180 00:11:48.190 --> 00:11:52.659 present from the sun-drenched Bahamas, under construction, what will certainly 181 00:11:52.720 --> 00:11:56.200 be the world's most unique house, if not the world's largest. 182 00:11:57.259 --> 00:12:00.179 It was Nygaard's most lavish display of wealth and excess. 183 00:12:01.179 --> 00:12:04.919 Fashion mogul Peter Nygaard, who also has designs on nature, 184 00:12:05.299 --> 00:12:08.730 chose exclusive life at key in the sparkling Bahama Islands 185 00:12:09.009 --> 00:12:11.169 to fashion his greatest creation ever. 186 00:12:12.230 --> 00:12:15.330 After increasingly spending time in the Bahamas through the 70s, 187 00:12:15.789 --> 00:12:20.600 Nygaard began building his palatial estate in 1984. With permission 188 00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:23.899 from the Bahamian government, he renamed his land Nygaard Key, 189 00:12:24.460 --> 00:12:27.620 just in time for an appearance in this 1992 episode 190 00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:30.799 of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. It had been 191 00:12:30.840 --> 00:12:32.879 known as Sims Point for the past 400 years. 192 00:12:34.870 --> 00:12:37.809 Like Christopher Columbus, whose first taste of the new world 193 00:12:38.049 --> 00:12:41.769 was exactly here 500 years ago, Peter discovered the very 194 00:12:41.850 --> 00:12:44.629 tip of this island paradise and called it his own. 195 00:12:45.809 --> 00:12:48.570 It started with a modest beach house in a 1,000-acre 196 00:12:48.610 --> 00:12:52.129 gated community called Leiford Quay. It's considered one of the 197 00:12:52.190 --> 00:12:58.269 wealthiest and most exclusive in the world. That original beach 198 00:12:58.309 --> 00:13:01.429 house would eventually become the security booth and staff office. 199 00:13:01.889 --> 00:13:04.789 to the sprawling estate Nygaard would go on to design 200 00:13:05.009 --> 00:13:06.340 and construct for more than 20 years. 201 00:13:08.220 --> 00:13:13.110 We'd been living in Winnipeg, 40 below, and I'd never 202 00:13:13.190 --> 00:13:15.250 been to a warm country in my life. And when 203 00:13:15.330 --> 00:13:17.210 I had a chance right early in my life, I 204 00:13:17.269 --> 00:13:19.870 ended up coming here and I saw this beautiful place 205 00:13:19.889 --> 00:13:22.679 with beautiful water and these beautiful people here. And I said, 206 00:13:22.700 --> 00:13:24.960 that's for me. So I always had this dream about 207 00:13:25.039 --> 00:13:27.360 building on an island, going from water to water. 208 00:13:27.679 --> 00:13:29.240 It was a little wee island when I was younger. 209 00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:31.370 Then it got bigger and bigger. 210 00:13:31.379 --> 00:13:33.929 And I ended up with this biggest house in the world. 211 00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:38.870 Here, Nygaard and his usual entourage of young women could 212 00:13:38.909 --> 00:13:43.250 surround themselves with comfort and luxury. There were volleyball, basketball, 213 00:13:43.269 --> 00:13:47.720 and tennis courts, a disco, a 24-seat movie theater, and 214 00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:50.220 what he declared was the world's largest sauna. 215 00:13:51.539 --> 00:13:54.620 There's a lot of celebrities coming here. Almost every person 216 00:13:54.659 --> 00:13:58.710 who comes to the island wants to see this. 217 00:13:58.830 --> 00:14:00.950 Most of them are famous movie stars. 218 00:14:01.649 --> 00:14:04.970 And then we have the rap guys come over here, 219 00:14:04.990 --> 00:14:08.629 and the basketball players. And we have all the church 220 00:14:08.710 --> 00:14:10.070 leaders over here. 221 00:14:10.429 --> 00:14:11.429 It goes from everywhere. 222 00:14:15.740 --> 00:14:19.519 George H.W. Bush, Michael Jackson, Robert De Niro. and Duchess 223 00:14:19.659 --> 00:14:22.450 Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew have all spent time at 224 00:14:22.509 --> 00:14:33.429 Nygaard Quay, as well as countless prominent Bahamians. I traveled 225 00:14:33.450 --> 00:14:36.750 to the Bahamas, to Nygaard Quay, to see this so-called 226 00:14:37.000 --> 00:14:40.799 ape wonder in person. And I'd find out it was 227 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:44.759 Nygaard's limitless ambitions for this property that would eventually see 228 00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:48.379 him forced out of the Bahamas, setting the stage for 229 00:14:48.799 --> 00:15:01.610 for the wave of allegations to come. 230 00:15:01.769 --> 00:15:04.299 In 2010, a family of four in California goes missing, 231 00:15:04.659 --> 00:15:08.639 and the clues left behind send investigators on a years-long search. 232 00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:11.639 Is this a family on the run, or is the 233 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:16.850 truth far more sinister? From ABC Audio in 2020, this 234 00:15:17.049 --> 00:15:20.409 is What Happened to the McStaves, coming August 11th. Listen 235 00:15:20.470 --> 00:15:25.269 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or your favorite podcast app. 236 00:15:25.529 --> 00:15:28.750 Or subscribe to 2020 True Crime Plus on Apple Podcasts 237 00:15:28.889 --> 00:15:30.450 to listen early and ad-free. 238 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:41.080 One sunny afternoon in February 2020, a colleague and I 239 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:45.389 drove west from the airport in Nassau. The sparkling jewel-like 240 00:15:45.470 --> 00:15:47.850 sea pops in and out of view through palm trees 241 00:15:47.889 --> 00:15:51.539 and coastal homes. 20 minutes later, we pass through the 242 00:15:51.659 --> 00:15:54.440 outer gates of Lyford Quay, on our way to where 243 00:15:54.500 --> 00:15:59.059 Nygaard built his massive

beachside estate. I've seen it several 244 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:03.299 times over the years, from a plane, a drone, and 245 00:16:03.340 --> 00:16:07.850 by peeking through the gates. The best view, however, comes 246 00:16:07.889 --> 00:16:13.750 by circling it in a boat. We cruise along stunning 247 00:16:13.889 --> 00:16:17.549 Old Fort Bay. As we head towards the point, Nygaard 248 00:16:17.620 --> 00:16:22.679 Key comes into view. Gigantic stone lions guard Nygaard's private 249 00:16:22.740 --> 00:16:28.480 seawater-filled lagoon. Mayan-style temples tower behind it. Cabanas made from 250 00:16:28.539 --> 00:16:31.029 glass and rock sit in the treetops, jutting out over 251 00:16:31.070 --> 00:16:34.309 the sea. As we come around the point, we see 252 00:16:34.330 --> 00:16:38.049 the beaches. The bluest water laps up on several acres 253 00:16:38.090 --> 00:16:41.590 of the whitest sand you'll ever see. If someone built 254 00:16:41.629 --> 00:16:45.129 a Disneyland for adults, this is what it would look like. 255 00:16:49.750 --> 00:16:53.360 My tour guide today is Joe Darvill, a local conservationist 256 00:16:53.500 --> 00:17:00.639 who holds the impressive title Grand Bahama Coastal Waterkeeper. What 257 00:17:00.679 --> 00:17:03.259 drives that passion for you about Mother Earth, as. 258 00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:03.600 You call it? 259 00:17:04.059 --> 00:17:06.339 Well, I think because when I grow up on the island, 260 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:09.559 we survive from the land and we survive from the sea. 261 00:17:10.140 --> 00:17:12.500 I knew that a long time ago, that the archipelagic 262 00:17:12.539 --> 00:17:15.089 nation of Bahamas was the most beautiful spot on planet Earth. 263 00:17:15.950 --> 00:17:18.470 So what more can I say? I mean, whatever I'm 264 00:17:18.490 --> 00:17:21.470 going to do and have to do to safeguard it 265 00:17:21.529 --> 00:17:25.269 for my people, I will do it without fear or trepidation. 266 00:17:27.230 --> 00:17:30.490 Joe's determination to safeguard the environment would eventually see him 267 00:17:30.589 --> 00:17:35.990 at war with Nygaard. So when did you first hear 268 00:17:36.009 --> 00:17:37.019 the name Peter Nygaard? 269 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:42.660 Well, Peter Nygaard was not known to me until I 270 00:17:42.859 --> 00:17:46.329 found out certain things that he was doing to deprive 271 00:17:46.369 --> 00:17:49.650 this beautiful area of what we have here today. 272 00:17:52.450 --> 00:17:56.009 While Nygaard made himself popular with some Bahamians he alienated 273 00:17:56.150 --> 00:17:59.039 others with what they saw as a blatant disregard for 274 00:17:59.059 --> 00:18:03.220 the environment. By dredging the seabed and redirecting the sand 275 00:18:03.660 --> 00:18:07.630 Nygaard damaged ecosystems while swelling the size of those beautiful 276 00:18:07.690 --> 00:18:12.589 personal beaches. Environmentalists like Joe and Nygaard's neighbors on Leifert 277 00:18:12.609 --> 00:18:14.049 Key were outraged. 278 00:18:15.950 --> 00:18:19.650 In the past, our authorities have allowed individuals who come 279 00:18:19.690 --> 00:18:22.119 from abroad, and even in cahoots with some of our 280 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:25.680 local people, to cordon off all of these beautiful areas 281 00:18:25.740 --> 00:18:29.700 that were once open to all Bahamians to enjoy. We 282 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:33.000 saw what Nygaard was doing over there on Sam's Point, 283 00:18:33.650 --> 00:18:37.390 Within a number of years, he was extending, accreting his land. 284 00:18:38.009 --> 00:18:40.589 And then when he saw how beautiful and magnificent it 285 00:18:40.630 --> 00:18:42.970 was and how many parties he could have on that beach, 286 00:18:43.460 --> 00:18:45.559 then he said, well, you know, I want more sand 287 00:18:45.619 --> 00:18:48.539 on my beach. And so in addition to more groins 288 00:18:48.619 --> 00:18:52.019 and gabions and so on, out over the seabed, on 289 00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:55.960 top of coral reefs and grasses with turtles fed, he 290 00:18:56.220 --> 00:18:57.619 did everything possible. 291 00:18:59.529 --> 00:19:02.150 Joe Darvill took up the legal fight to stop Nygaard's 292 00:19:02.269 --> 00:19:05.440 environmental abuses. and joining him was Reverend C.B. 293 00:19:05.480 --> 00:19:05.819 Moss. 294 00:19:06.579 --> 00:19:10.539 He's a local pastor, activist, and conservationist. We interviewed him 295 00:19:10.680 --> 00:19:12.640 sitting in the pews of his Nassau church. 296 00:19:14.920 --> 00:19:15.680 Mr. 297 00:19:16.380 --> 00:19:19.890 Nygaard felt that he could have his way in doing 298 00:19:19.910 --> 00:19:24.029 what he wanted to do, disregarding the fact that the 299 00:19:24.069 --> 00:19:27.509 land that he had accreted belonged to the Bahamian people, 300 00:19:28.329 --> 00:19:32.980 and he was not willing to discuss it. He just 301 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:37.680 wanted to have his way. Once we engaged the battle 302 00:19:37.740 --> 00:19:43.009 with him, we saw an effort to generate goodwill. He 303 00:19:43.049 --> 00:19:49.970 would sponsor sporting activities, cultural activities, and he acted benevolently. 304 00:19:51.170 --> 00:19:55.329 and he assisted those who were in need. And people 305 00:19:55.390 --> 00:20:01.549 are now realizing that this benevolence was really toward a purpose, 306 00:20:01.630 --> 00:20:07.109 a selfish purpose. This public kindness perhaps was a plan 307 00:20:07.710 --> 00:20:11.599 to secure the goodwill and support of the community that 308 00:20:11.660 --> 00:20:14.259 he would be able to do what he wanted to do. 309 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:20.799 For Reverend Moss and the others, the legal battle against 310 00:20:20.839 --> 00:20:22.779 Nygaard was long and grueling. 311 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:27.119 We have a good system in law and legalities in 312 00:20:27.160 --> 00:20:30.119 the courts in the Bahamas. And so we were able 313 00:20:30.180 -->

00:20:32.980 to win every single battle against him. And that raged 314 00:20:33.099 --> 00:20:38.200 on for like six years almost. with about 25 judicial reviews. 315 00:20:38.500 --> 00:20:40.680 Because every time we would win, they would come up 316 00:20:40.700 --> 00:20:43.839 with some other concoction in order for us to spend 317 00:20:44.220 --> 00:20:49.759 more time, more money, to bring action against him. Another 318 00:20:49.799 --> 00:20:54.170 disturbing thing was, because he had been given sort of tacit, 319 00:20:54.769 --> 00:20:58.789 under-the-table permissions to do what he was doing, we had 320 00:20:58.829 --> 00:21:01.289 to fight against not just him, but we had to 321 00:21:01.329 --> 00:21:04.029 fight against the government. We had to fight against the 322 00:21:04.450 --> 00:21:07.609 former PLP government who gave him carte blanche to do 323 00:21:07.630 --> 00:21:08.710 whatever he wanted to do. 324 00:21:11.630 --> 00:21:15.150 Nygaard wasn't your average ultra-rich foreigner in the Bahamas. There 325 00:21:15.170 --> 00:21:18.230 are many of those. He gave millions to the Progressive 326 00:21:18.299 --> 00:21:21.420 Liberal Party, or PLP, who were in power on and 327 00:21:21.500 --> 00:21:24.000 off for a total of 15 years during Nygaard's time 328 00:21:24.039 --> 00:21:28.359 in the Bahamas. As a permanent resident since 1986, who 329 00:21:28.400 --> 00:21:32.460 invested heavily in local politicians, he seemed to expect something 330 00:21:32.519 --> 00:21:37.109 in return. Over time, those expectations got bigger and bigger. 331 00:21:38.309 --> 00:21:41.349 Because even at one particular point in time, Nygard had 332 00:21:41.369 --> 00:21:44.539 the gall to write to our prime minister and say, 333 00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:47.039 you know, I've donated this amount of money. I would 334 00:21:47.079 --> 00:21:50.160 say that that's a good amount, wouldn't you? And like 335 00:21:50.420 --> 00:21:52.759 one hand should shake the other hand. I mean, you 336 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:56.859 don't do that to government officials, particularly prime ministers in 337 00:21:57.119 --> 00:21:57.579 the country. 338 00:22:00.670 --> 00:22:03.869 What Joe's talking about is a now notorious letter Nygaard 339 00:22:03.890 --> 00:22:08.009 sent to Perry Christie, who was a cabinet minister in 1992. 340 00:22:08.009 --> 00:22:11.940 In the early 90s, Nygaard pledged $ 45, 000 to the PLP, 341 00:22:12.220 --> 00:22:15.500 Christie's party. In the letter, sent a couple of years later, 342 00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:19.700 he referenced his, quote, significant pledge, and asked for help 343 00:22:19.920 --> 00:22:25.160 in officially renaming his expanded property, Nygaard Key. He wrote, quote, 344 00:22:25.640 --> 00:22:28.509 Obviously this whole world is based on one hand helping 345 00:22:28.549 --> 00:22:30.819 the other. and you know that I am prepared to 346 00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:33.019 do whatever is in my capacity to help out the 347 00:22:33.079 --> 00:22:37.220 Bahamas and the PLP party, and of course yourself, in 348 00:22:37.400 --> 00:22:38.119 any way I can. 349 00:22:39.980 --> 00:22:43.859 I'm 78 years old, and I've enjoyed every iota of it. 350 00:22:43.930 --> 00:22:45.109 I don't know how long I'm going to be around, 351 00:22:45.130 --> 00:22:47.170 but I want to do everything I can to make 352 00:22:47.250 --> 00:22:51.390 sure that these beautiful islands, Aqualagic Nation of the Bahamas, 353 00:22:51.930 --> 00:22:57.599 is preserved for Bahamians, inviting people from abroad to enjoy 354 00:22:57.619 --> 00:22:59.440 it along with us, but not to come here with 355 00:22:59.740 --> 00:23:02.700 with deep pockets and think you can buy out our politicians, 356 00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:04.000 that has to stop. 357 00:23:06.259 --> 00:23:11.509 Perry Christie would later be elected prime minister, twice. In 2011, 358 00:23:11.509 --> 00:23:14.130 Christie traveled all the way to Winnipeg to attend the 359 00:23:14.170 --> 00:23:15.710 wedding of one of Nygaard's daughters. 360 00:23:17.250 --> 00:23:19.549 Let me first congratulate the bride and groom. 361 00:23:20.670 --> 00:23:22.309 In a speech, he says of Nygaard. 362 00:23:23.170 --> 00:23:27.390 He is a significant personality in the Bahamas, known for 363 00:23:27.430 --> 00:23:28.130 his philanthropy. 364 00:23:29.089 --> 00:23:30.390 A contributor to. 365 00:23:30.950 --> 00:23:31.970 Those who are in need. 366 00:23:33.710 --> 00:23:37.839 Nygaard says he later contributed at least $ 5 million to Christie. 367 00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:42.839 There are no campaign financing limits in the Bahamas. Through 368 00:23:42.859 --> 00:23:48.109 his representatives, Nygaard denies all accusations of political corruption. When 369 00:23:48.150 --> 00:23:50.529 I called Christie for his response, he said there was 370 00:23:50.589 --> 00:23:53.069 nothing untoward about his relationship with Nygaard. 371 00:23:54.970 --> 00:23:58.640 I've spent 43 years in public life. There's no equivocation 372 00:23:58.700 --> 00:24:01.460 about my commitment to integrity. And so I just want 373 00:24:01.480 --> 00:24:03.859 to be able to say it clearly and as strongly 374 00:24:03.960 --> 00:24:06.640 as I possibly can to you. I have no fear 375 00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:10.279 of any investigation into my conduct in my public life. 376 00:24:16.599 --> 00:24:19.220 They were giving him a get out of jail free card. 377 00:24:19.549 --> 00:24:22.069 I mean, the PLP to this day will say that 378 00:24:22.710 --> 00:24:26.859 we never succumbed to Nygaard's corruption offers to us. 379 00:24:28.539 --> 00:24:31.740 Fred Smith is a prominent Bahamian human rights lawyer, an 380 00:24:31.819 --> 00:24:34.759 outspoken critic of government corruption, among other things. 381 00:24:36.500 --> 00:24:39.900 I'm quite an activist in the Bahamas on the rule 382 00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:44.119 of law, human rights, environmental

issues. So I was seduced 383 00:24:44.319 --> 00:24:47.940 into this environmental organization. 384 00:24:50.890 --> 00:24:53.970 As the environmentalists fighting Nygaard took their dispute to the courts, 385 00:24:54.549 --> 00:24:57.980 Fred was called in to help. Their organization is called 386 00:24:58.200 --> 00:25:01.309 Save the Bays, where Fred still serves as legal director. 387 00:25:02.750 --> 00:25:04.950 It takes less than an hour to fly from Nassau 388 00:25:05.029 --> 00:25:08.190 to Miami. That's where we caught up with Fred. He 389 00:25:08.210 --> 00:25:09.769 was living at a hotel on the edge of a 390 00:25:09.809 --> 00:25:13.559 golf course, recovering from a recent paragliding accident that almost 391 00:25:13.630 --> 00:25:16.440 killed him. He broke both of his feet and his 392 00:25:16.500 --> 00:25:19.539 back in two places, but nothing, it seems, would slow 393 00:25:19.559 --> 00:25:23.140 him down. For all three men, it would be a 394 00:25:23.220 --> 00:25:25.619 long and ugly fight with people who were loyal to 395 00:25:25.660 --> 00:25:26.279 Peter Nygaard. 396 00:25:31.920 --> 00:25:36.970 It got nasty enough for Mr. Nygaard, according to our allegations, 397 00:25:38.210 --> 00:25:45.740 to hire very dangerous men to kill us. And, you know, 398 00:25:45.779 --> 00:25:48.240 we eventually launched a case in the Bahamas. 399 00:25:50.539 --> 00:25:53.460 In that lawsuit, two men swore that Nygaard had hired 400 00:25:53.480 --> 00:25:56.630 them as hitmen. Those claims have not been tested in court. 401 00:25:57.849 --> 00:26:00.990 In a separate incident, Fred also says nine men accosted 402 00:26:01.029 --> 00:26:04.329 him just across the bay from Nygaard Quay. The attack 403 00:26:04.369 --> 00:26:07.269 was so violent, they broke through the windshield of Fred's car. 404 00:26:08.609 --> 00:26:12.390 Fred Smith wasn't the only Bahamian who felt targeted. Reverend 405 00:26:12.410 --> 00:26:13.170 Moss again. 406 00:26:13.190 --> 00:26:19.759 We were threatened. Our office was broken into. Our car 407 00:26:19.799 --> 00:26:25.359 was firebombed. My vehicle was parked in front of my home. 408 00:26:25.759 --> 00:26:27.539 It was about 2 o'clock in the morning, and I 409 00:26:28.759 --> 00:26:32.619 my daughter was up for some reason and she saw 410 00:26:32.640 --> 00:26:38.059 a vehicle slowly driving by and she became suspicious and 411 00:26:38.099 --> 00:26:41.019 she kept an eye on it and the vehicle came 412 00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:46.240 back and two individuals got out and threw an incendiary 413 00:26:46.599 --> 00:26:49.039 device on the car and the car went up in 414 00:26:49.099 --> 00:26:53.829 flames and they drove off. We managed to extinguish it 415 00:26:53.890 --> 00:26:58.980 because my daughter was actually on the scene and It 416 00:26:59.029 --> 00:27:03.049 was frightening, but it didn't deter us because we believed 417 00:27:03.109 --> 00:27:06.369 that we just had to go through with

what we 418 00:27:06.390 --> 00:27:08.789 were going through because it was of such great importance 419 00:27:08.809 --> 00:27:11.150 to the Bahamian people. And in addition to that, we 420 00:27:11.170 --> 00:27:12.460 were not going to be intimidated. 421 00:27:16.299 --> 00:27:19.619 Nygaard denies any involvement in or knowledge of those kinds 422 00:27:19.640 --> 00:27:22.619 of attacks. But no matter who was behind them, the 423 00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:27.920 onslaught against the conservationists was two-pronged. Physical intimidation. and public 424 00:27:27.960 --> 00:27:28.700 smear campaigns. 425 00:27:29.920 --> 00:27:32.720 I mean, the abuse was virulent on the radio, on 426 00:27:32.759 --> 00:27:36.839 the TV, in the press, in social media. You know, 427 00:27:37.079 --> 00:27:39.380 in the Bahamas, when you go against the government, you 428 00:27:39.400 --> 00:27:43.170 become public enemy number one, basically, especially if the opposition 429 00:27:43.269 --> 00:27:44.730 isn't that strong or powerful. 430 00:27:45.069 --> 00:27:46.430 And it was quite weak at the time. 431 00:27:47.730 --> 00:27:50.829 They had these huge rallies up and down Bay Street, 432 00:27:50.869 --> 00:27:51.650 sometimes 2,000 or 3,000, 4,000 people with. 433 00:27:54.109 --> 00:27:57.730 Banners about Fred Smith and Reverend Moss and Joe Darvill. 434 00:27:58.069 --> 00:28:00.490 You see, the Bahamas being such a small place, it 435 00:28:00.529 --> 00:28:01.170 can get very. 436 00:28:01.069 --> 00:28:03.819 Frightening as well when you whip up crowds who have 437 00:28:03.859 --> 00:28:07.740 no idea who Fred Smith or Joe Darvill are, but 438 00:28:07.940 --> 00:28:11.380 you just whip up this energy against them, and then 439 00:28:11.619 --> 00:28:14.200 it has the effect of ostracizing them from a lot 440 00:28:14.240 --> 00:28:14.859 of society. 441 00:28:18.869 --> 00:28:21.569 Through it all, Fred says one man was crucial in 442 00:28:21.609 --> 00:28:26.279 their fight against Nygaard. Louis Bacon. An American billionaire and 443 00:28:26.339 --> 00:28:28.839 former hedge fund manager, Bacon is a director of that 444 00:28:28.880 --> 00:28:32.660 environmental group, Save the Bays. He has properties in New 445 00:28:32.680 --> 00:28:36.440 York's Upper East Side, the Scottish Moors, Panama, and a 446 00:28:36.480 --> 00:28:41.809 home in Lyford Quay, right next door to Nygaard. Nygaard 447 00:28:41.849 --> 00:28:45.210 and Bacon's respective properties could not feel any more opposite 448 00:28:45.289 --> 00:28:48.430 in how they look and feel. You've already heard about 449 00:28:48.490 --> 00:28:52.690 Nygaard Quay. In contrast, Bacon's property is subdued and simple. 450 00:28:53.670 --> 00:28:56.150 His pride and joy appears to be a perfectly manicured 451 00:28:56.190 --> 00:28:59.170 croquet pitch, where you can imagine guests playing a quiet 452 00:28:59.230 --> 00:29:03.700 game on a Sunday afternoon. Like Nygaard, however, Bacon is

litigious. 453 00:29:04.500 --> 00:29:06.940 What began as a feud over a shared driveway and 454 00:29:07.019 --> 00:29:10.339 Nygaard's raucous parties has turned into at least 10 years 455 00:29:10.380 --> 00:29:14.420 of litigation involving dozens of legal actions all around the world. 456 00:29:17.460 --> 00:29:20.410 Since arriving in the Quay in 1994, Bacon has been 457 00:29:20.430 --> 00:29:22.849 a major contributor to local conservation efforts. 458 00:29:24.619 --> 00:29:27.619 He has financially, along with others, but to a great 459 00:29:27.819 --> 00:29:32.880 extent financed Save the Bays in their environmental work in Abaco, 460 00:29:33.529 --> 00:29:37.809 in other places, in Grand Bahama, in Nassau, on other 461 00:29:37.849 --> 00:29:41.569 environmental issues other than Peter Nygaard. He puts his money 462 00:29:41.930 --> 00:29:45.589 where his mouth is on environmental issues. And had it 463 00:29:45.690 --> 00:29:50.390 not been for a person with such deep pockets and 464 00:29:50.519 --> 00:29:53.460 such moral and ethical commitment to the rule of law, 465 00:29:54.220 --> 00:29:58.299 I dare say Nygaard would still be there today in 466 00:29:58.420 --> 00:30:00.589 full battle gear with the PLP. 467 00:30:03.700 --> 00:30:07.240 Bacon's continued bankrolling of the environmentalists kept their court battles 468 00:30:07.339 --> 00:30:12.019 against Nygaard alive. And in the end, the environmentalist determination 469 00:30:12.180 --> 00:30:17.130 paid off. In 2013, a Bohemian Supreme Court judge ordered 470 00:30:17.210 --> 00:30:21.269 Nygaard to stop the dredging. Four years later, the same 471 00:30:21.349 --> 00:30:24.470 judge slapped him with a five-figure fine for violating that 472 00:30:24.549 --> 00:30:27.230 order and threatened him with jail time if he didn't pay. 473 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:32.920 Then came a major blow in 2019. A judge sentenced 474 00:30:32.980 --> 00:30:37.779 Peter Nygaard to 90 days in jail and fined him $ 150, 000 475 00:30:36.740 --> 00:30:42.000 for breaching another court order. Nygaard never saw the inside 476 00:30:42.019 --> 00:30:45.089 of a Bahamian jail, mainly because he hasn't been back 477 00:30:45.109 --> 00:30:46.849 to the Bahamas since 2018. 478 00:30:46.849 --> 00:30:52.450 In a final analysis, I don't think he could set 479 00:30:52.509 --> 00:30:55.230 foot on this island again or he's going to end 480 00:30:55.289 --> 00:30:58.680 up in jail because there is... warrants out for his 481 00:30:58.740 --> 00:31:02.380 arrest because he's refused to show up for sentencing. And 482 00:31:02.460 --> 00:31:06.099 so we can rejoice today, really, really rejoice. 483 00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:11.819 He was always behaving in a manner that was bigger 484 00:31:11.839 --> 00:31:15.059 than life. But the fact that he is virtually now 485 00:31:15.460 --> 00:31:19.319 banned from the Bahamas, people are saying, go to riddance. 486 00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:26.660 The conservationist fight against Nygaard undermined whatever pull he had 487 00:31:26.700 --> 00:31:30.390 in the Bahamas. Then the government he backed lost power. 488 00:31:31.650 --> 00:31:34.069 And once Nygaard could no longer expect to be protected 489 00:31:34.130 --> 00:31:39.019 by his money and influence, everything began to unravel. Far 490 00:31:39.079 --> 00:31:46.940 more disturbing information would emerge about Peter Nygaard. Fred Smith. 491 00:31:48.299 --> 00:31:55.049 So the public and people around Nygaard started to see that. 492 00:31:54.369 --> 00:31:55.529 The law could actually work. 493 00:31:55.809 --> 00:31:59.289 The judicial system functioned in the Bahamas. That is one 494 00:31:59.349 --> 00:32:04.309 branch of government that has remained independent of corruption and politics. 495 00:32:04.670 --> 00:32:07.960 And so more and more people just started talking. 496 00:32:07.720 --> 00:32:11.059 About, we can give you information about Nygaard building without. 497 00:32:10.839 --> 00:32:14.579 Permits, or here are pictures of him dredging. 498 00:32:14.380 --> 00:32:18.960 Without a permit, and then filtering in where these pamper 499 00:32:18.980 --> 00:32:21.829 parties aren't what they seem, that there's a lot that 500 00:32:21.869 --> 00:32:29.890 happens behind the scenes. And it wasn't until 2016 that 501 00:32:30.430 --> 00:32:36.210 a few people started to share information about women being 502 00:32:36.309 --> 00:32:39.390 abused at Nygaard Key sexually. 503 00:32:41.809 --> 00:32:44.450 Fred and the others had to tread very carefully. 504 00:32:46.559 --> 00:32:46.839 Mr. 505 00:32:46.890 --> 00:32:50.480 Nygaard has in the past tended to set up sting 506 00:32:50.559 --> 00:32:56.380 operations or tried to create situations where he would entrap 507 00:32:57.049 --> 00:33:01.150 a lawyer or an investigator or someone with false information. 508 00:33:02.009 --> 00:33:04.579 And if they went to use it to then show, ah, 509 00:33:04.650 --> 00:33:08.539 this is further evidence of the conspiracy against me. And 510 00:33:08.740 --> 00:33:12.839 so we were very careful initially in speaking with any 511 00:33:12.859 --> 00:33:17.309 of these informants about what they were sharing with us. 512 00:33:18.210 --> 00:33:21.849 And it became very important to actually hear it from 513 00:33:22.970 --> 00:33:25.769 the victims themselves about what was happening. 514 00:33:28.789 --> 00:33:31.970 Fred and other Bahamian lawyers started collecting the stories of 515 00:33:32.009 --> 00:33:34.049 a growing number of young women who said they'd been 516 00:33:34.109 --> 00:33:37.690 raped by Nygaard. So many came forward that Fred, with 517 00:33:37.730 --> 00:33:41.450 Louis Bacon's help, decided to create an organization to support them. 518 00:33:42.710 --> 00:33:45.190 Many of these women joined the class action lawsuit filed 519 00:33:45.210 --> 00:33:48.900 in early 2020, suing Nygaard for rape and human

trafficking. 520 00:33:49.740 --> 00:33:53.400 And dozens more signed on. Among the Jane Does are 521 00:33:53.460 --> 00:33:57.930 several so-called girlfriends. The lawsuit alleges these were women who 522 00:33:57.970 --> 00:34:01.490 were paid for sex, companionship, and servitude out of the 523 00:34:01.549 --> 00:34:05.349 Nygaard company's payroll, and that Nygaard coerced some of them 524 00:34:05.390 --> 00:34:09.750 into having sex with politicians, police officers, and business associates 525 00:34:10.090 --> 00:34:14.840 for his own gain. But because some plaintiffs got support 526 00:34:14.880 --> 00:34:18.119 from Fred and Louis Bacon, Nygaard and his representatives had 527 00:34:18.139 --> 00:34:20.179 a counterclaim to all of the allegations. 528 00:34:21.039 --> 00:34:21.559 That all of the. 529 00:34:21.559 --> 00:34:24.500 Women are lying. And this is all a vast conspiracy 530 00:34:24.599 --> 00:34:28.460 funded and organized by Louis Bacon to destroy Nygaard's reputation. 531 00:34:29.719 --> 00:34:31.699 This is Jay Prober, Nygaard's lawyer. 532 00:34:33.340 --> 00:34:40.130 The allegations are completely false. They'll be vigorously defended. They 533 00:34:40.510 --> 00:34:46.010 are part of a vicious and malicious conspiracy which has 534 00:34:46.070 --> 00:34:50.730 been going on for about 10 years against Nygaard by 535 00:34:50.789 --> 00:34:51.369 his enemies. 536 00:34:53.159 --> 00:34:55.199 The survivors we've spoken to who were part of the 537 00:34:55.239 --> 00:34:58.219 lawsuit deny this and are looking forward to their day 538 00:34:58.260 --> 00:35:03.860 in court. Although Fred Smith and others may have won 539 00:35:03.900 --> 00:35:07.219 their battle over the environment, the allegations of rape and 540 00:35:07.280 --> 00:35:09.550 sex trafficking point to an even bigger problem. 541 00:35:11.949 --> 00:35:13.030 The Bahamas is my home. 542 00:35:14.070 --> 00:35:17.750 I hate to speak ill of my home, but I 543 00:35:17.789 --> 00:35:19.659 have been doing so for 43 years now. 544 00:35:21.239 --> 00:35:24.320 In the field of human rights and environmental rights. 545 00:35:25.199 --> 00:35:29.079 It's a piratical, opportunistic society going back to the years 546 00:35:29.139 --> 00:35:31.739 of the pirates and then the rum running and then 547 00:35:31.760 --> 00:35:36.550 the drugs and then notwithstanding, you know, the beautiful hotels 548 00:35:36.610 --> 00:35:36.969 and everything. 549 00:35:36.989 --> 00:35:39.190 The Bahamas is a very poor country. 550 00:35:39.829 --> 00:35:42.250 And corruption is endemic. 551 00:35:42.570 --> 00:35:45.690 It is ubiquitous and it is rife in the Bahamas. 552 00:35:46.869 --> 00:35:52.900 Worse still, the whole social movement acceptance that you know 553 00:35:53.079 --> 00:35:58.059 sex tourism is okay that sex with young girls is okay. 554 00:35:59.639 --> 00:36:00.280 You know we're. 555 00:36:00.119 --> 00:36:03.989 Fighting human trafficking and we're fighting sex tourism and this 556 00:36:04.030 --> 00:36:07.329 would be a really good opportunity for the Bahamas to 557 00:36:07.989 --> 00:36:10.309 purge itself of a lot of. 558 00:36:10.349 --> 00:36:13.570 These horrific embedded social mores. 559 00:36:20.710 --> 00:36:24.070 As this was all playing out, someone was watching intently. 560 00:36:24.829 --> 00:36:28.949 Someone closer to Nygaard than most. If women and girls 561 00:36:28.989 --> 00:36:31.550 had been raped at his home in the Bahamas, she 562 00:36:31.570 --> 00:36:34.949 would be the key to unlocking those secrets. Her story 563 00:36:35.010 --> 00:36:39.489 is complex, challenging, but ultimately instrumental to the fall of 564 00:36:39.550 --> 00:36:43.409 Peter Nygaard. And soon, she would be free to tell 565 00:36:43.449 --> 00:36:51.670 that story to the world. coming up. 566 00:36:53.769 --> 00:36:55.969 He himself, when he got on my massage table, would 567 00:36:56.010 --> 00:37:01.900 start to share his innermost darkest secrets. When I did 568 00:37:01.940 --> 00:37:05.360 what I did for Mr. Nygaard, I did it because 569 00:37:05.619 --> 00:37:06.719 I didn't really have a choice. 570 00:37:08.940 --> 00:37:09.179 Mr. 571 00:37:09.199 --> 00:37:13.219 Nygaard had us order two kits of fish, and he 572 00:37:13.260 --> 00:37:17.360 had me and two notorious gangsters here in Nassau stuff 573 00:37:17.380 --> 00:37:24.300 the fish. with about $ 150, 000 in cash. If Niagara asks 574 00:37:24.320 --> 00:37:26.579 you to jump, you ask him how high, where to 575 00:37:26.599 --> 00:37:29.940 land and in what position. You don't tell Niagara no. 576 00:37:32.940 --> 00:37:35.039 If anything you've heard in this episode has left you 577 00:37:35.079 --> 00:37:39.780 looking for someone to talk to, please visit cbc.ca slash uncover. 578 00:37:40.400 --> 00:37:42.380 We have a number of resources there for those in 579 00:37:42.420 --> 00:37:46.090 need of help and support. Evil by Design is a 580 00:37:46.110 --> 00:37:49.949 co-production between CBC Podcasts and The Fifth Estate. You can 581 00:37:50.010 --> 00:37:53.739 find The Fifth Estate's latest documentary, Peter Nygaard, The Secret Videos, 582 00:37:54.019 --> 00:37:58.500 on YouTube. This podcast is written by producer Ashley Mack, 583 00:37:58.840 --> 00:38:03.400 associate producer Alina Ghosh, and me, Timothy Sawa, with assistance 584 00:38:03.420 --> 00:38:06.699 from Annette Fortune at The Fifth Estate. Mixing and sound 585 00:38:06.719 --> 00:38:10.860 design by Evan Kelly, with technical assistance from Laura Antonelli. 586 00:38:11.869 --> 00:38:14.630 For this episode, special thanks goes to Bob McEwen and 587 00:38:14.670 --> 00:38:19.429 Corvell Pyfram. Fact-checking by Emily Mathieu and legal advice from 588 00:38:19.489 --> 00:38:24.420 Sean Moorman. Emily Connell is our digital producer. Original music 589 00:38:24.519 --> 00:38:28.579 by Olivia Pasquarelli. Our senior producer at CBC Podcasts is 590 00:38:28.619 --> 00:38:32.179 Chris Oak. And our executive producer is Arif Noorani. 591 00:38:42.619 --> 00:38:47.469 For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.