Nygard ‘serious flight risk,’ considered travel under alias, RCMP officer says

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This article was published 14/12/2020 (1473 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Phone records seized by justice authorities show as recently as this past June, Peter Nygard “was considering the logistics of travelling under an alias,” alleges an RCMP affidavit filed in support of Nygard’s extradition to the U.S.

“I believe Nygard presents a serious flight risk,” Sgt. Stefane Nicolas, a member of the force’s Federal Serious and Organized Crime Unit, wrote in the affidavit made public Tuesday.

According to cellphone communications with a woman identified as Female-1, Nygard was considering flying to Malta or Bermuda as recently as last April.

Real estate records and filings in ongoing bankruptcy proceedings show Nygard has been liquidating “certain assets” and using company staff to extract cash for his own use, Nicolas alleged.

“The bankruptcy receivership is expected to end in or around January 2021, and Nygard will then have easier access to additional corporate assets,” Nicolas wrote.

Nygard’’s alleged victims, both women and girls as young as 14 at the time of the alleged assaults, “generally described a relationship… in which they were paid for sex that was in turn induced through force, fraud and coercion,” Nicolas wrote.

Nygard referred to many of the victims as “girlfriends,” with some acting as his “quasi-personal assistant,” Nicolas alleged.

Some victims described being constantly watched as they travelled with Nygard and unable to leave his Bahamian estate without his permission, Nicolas alleged.

“In addition, international travel arrangements were managed exclusively by corporate employees at Nygard’s direction, making it difficult, and in some cases impossible, for victims to return home without Nygard’s permission and financial assistance,” Nicolas alleged.

Nygard, Nicolas alleged, took one minor victim to a New York swingers club where, without warning, he told her to have sex with other men so Nygard could have sex with their wives.

The girl was dependent on Nygard for her travel and accommodations and “felt compelled to submit to (Nygard’s) demands,” Nicolas alleged.

Another victim alleged she was drugged and raped by Nygard and five other men in 2018. An angry Nygard later told the woman she “ruined” the night by attempting to fight the men off, Nicolas alleged.

Nygard exploited his companies and their staff to both facilitate and cover up his crimes, Nicolas alleged.

Over the past several decades, Nygard has “repeatedly engaged in efforts to obstruct justice and tamper with potential witnesses against him,” including paying witnesses to lie and “monitoring” contact between victims and U.S. law enforcement authorities.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca