Ulster Unionist Finance Spokesperson, Philip Smith MLA, has tabled an Urgent Oral Question in the Assembly asking the Finance Minister to respond to claims that were made during last week’s Public Accounts Committee meeting in the Republic.
The comments were made by the Chief Operating Officer of the successful bidder of the NAMA property portfolio Cerberus, about fees it paid to the solicitors involved in the deal Brown Rudnick.
Philip Smith MLA said:
“Last week’s revelation raises several fundamental questions. Did Cerberus get what they paid for, and if so who did they meet and when did they meet them? Lastly what was the outcome of those meetings?
“It is absolutely essential that the current Finance Minister moves swiftly to clarify the situation in order to restore much needed credibility and public confidence in the institutions and that is why first thing on Monday morning I tabled an Urgent Oral Question in the Assembly.
“If the accusations made at the PAC are true it is outrageous that law firms were effectively selling access to Northern Ireland’s Government. The more revelations that come to light, then the more detail we need from former Ministers Sammy Wilson and Peter Robinson about their meetings relating to NAMA.”