By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard yesterday criticised Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis for suggesting several weeks ago that Bahamian law enforcement officers may have been “entrapped” in a US drug trafficking probe, accusing him of sending a confusing and damaging message.

Mr Pintard, a former Cabinet minister and FNM leader, said it was extraordinary for a senior attorney like Mr Davis to raise the issue of entrapment while also claiming limited knowledge about the case.

Mr Pintard questioned whether the person referenced in the indictment was “somebody that he knows” or “part of their caucus”, criticising Mr Davis for acting like a “defence attorney” rather than a national leader.

“Why he has switched from Prime Minister to defence attorney, attorney in advance of the public, and him receiving information, two things cannot be true,” he said. “He cannot claim it’s entrapment and, at the same time, claim he has no more information.”

He argued that Mr Davis’ remarks were inconsistent, pointing to similar comments made by Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell as evidence of what he believes is a coordinated government response.

“What is causing both of them to talk about entrapment? I believe they know a lot more than they’re saying,” Mr Pintard said.

He warned that invoking “entrapment” — a serious legal defence usually employed by the accused — without proof could erode public trust in law enforcement institutions.

Mr Pintard called on Mr Davis to explain his remarks, saying: “The Prime Minister has to help us understand what motivated him on that day to repeat what has been suggested by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.”

In November 2024, US prosecutors unsealed an indictment alleging that several Bahamian law enforcement officials participated in a cocaine trafficking ring, accepting bribes and even discussing the use of military aircraft to move cash.

Two officers — Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis and former Defence Force Chief Petty Officer Darren Roker — were arrested in the United States.