In response to a campaign of advertisements published in a local daily seemingly designed to attack his character, Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Senator Fred Mitchell said the advertisements are defamatory.

The advertisements were published weekly since the May 10 general election under the label, “Committee Against Mitchell” or “Bahamians Against Mitchell.”

“I wish to say that our investigators have determined who the author of these ads is and they are satisfied that there is no such committee, but that this is another disguise which is used by a well- known attorney to attack his political opponents,” Mr. Mitchell said in a statement yesterday.

The senator said that he will, in due course, file a complaint of breach of privilege pursuant to the Senate’s rules.

“I am satisfied that the ads are designed to injure me in my office and in my character and ultimately to silence me in my office by the use of money which cannot be matched by my private or party resources and therefore disclose a prima facie breach of privilege. I will look to the Parliament of this country for its protection. The ads have certainly caused a great deal of consternation and distress to my family and to my political colleagues,” Mr. Mitchell said.

“In due course also, I plan to ask a series of Parliamentary questions about an organization called Save The Bays and whether it has complied with a request by the Registrar General issued on 19 April pursuant to the Companies (Non-Profit Organizations) Regulations 2014 to disclose pursuant to Regulation 12 documents including those that detail the organization’s purpose, objective, and activities.

“It also requests identification of persons who control or direct the activities of the organization and any financial records that show the source of the gross annual income of the organization, explain the transactions within and outside The Bahamas and that show that the funds of the organization have been used in a manner consistent with its objective and activities.”

Mr. Mitchell drew the conclusion that the “attacks” are coming from a group very familiar to him.

“I raise that because the ads which have appeared from this faceless Bahamians Against Mitchell committee are designed and placed in a broadly similar manner to ads which have appeared in the same newspaper tied to a number of similar organizations that ran ads during the 2017 (general election) campaign, all tied to the lawyer who is connected to Save The Bays,” he said.

“It is important in my view to determine where the money trail leads and who is behind this. Indeed, if I am to receive recompense, it is absolutely crucial to know where the sourcing of the money is and the identity of the individuals who are seeking to defame me and injure me in my public office.

“As you are aware, it is already in the public domain, an allegation that significant millions of dollars were sent through the account of Callenders and Co. to fund Save the Bays and the arguments that have ensued about whether their funding has been used in a manner consistent with their stated objectives.”