Former DUP minister Nelson McCausland acted inappropriately and was "politically motivated" when he tried to extend a Housing Executive contract with maintenance firm Red Sky, a Stormont committee probe has concluded.
It is the second time the social development committee has censured the North Belfast MLA in relation to his role as housing minister. Last July the committee found Mr McCausland had deliberately misled his fellow MLAs when he claimed to have met a glazers' representative body when he was actually meeting management from Portadown company Turkingtons, who in the past have made donations to the DUP. Mr McCausland was removed by Peter Robinson weeks after the first report was published.
The former minister's colleague Sammy Wilson, who sits on the Stormont scrutiny committee which compiled the report, claimed the investigation was biased and a "politically motivated witch-hunt".
The committee launched its probe in July 2013 after a BBC Spotlight programme revealed how Mr McCausland's special adviser had sought to influence the outcome of a vote by Housing Executive board members on whether to extend a contract by East Belfast firm Red Sky. The housing body planned to end the contract after overcharging by Red Sky but DUP special advisor Stephen Brimstone ordered Lisburn councillor and Housing Executive board member Jenny Palmer to vote to extend the contract.
In its third and final report on the matter, the committee concludes that based on the evidence given, the minister acted inappropriately.
According to the BBC, the report says it was clear he sought to have the Red Sky contracts extended despite being aware of the adverse findings into the company's performance.
The report also says the decision to seek an extension to the Red Sky contract was "politically motivated".
"It is evident to the committee that regardless of a minister's views, or that of his party, these should not be enacted by seeking to change public contracts that are out with the authority of the minister - as the committee believes happened in this case," the report states.
The committee also laments the lack of sanctions at their disposal when holding those in public office to account and highlights a "glaring gap" in the assembly's ability to ensure ministerial accountability in the face of charges of misconduct.
"While there is currently a mechanism to investigate allegations in relation to the conduct of MLAs and to determine any action to be taken as a result of the findings of an investigation, there is no such equivalent mechanism for investigating allegations of misconduct against ministers," the report says.
Mr Wilson blamed a fellow committee member for leaking the report in the mouth of an election. He said the probe had been "a politically motivated witch-hunt from beginning to end".
"The minister was perfectly in his rights to have meetings with public representatives and he did not interfere in any process – this is supported by officials' evidence," the East Antrim MLA said.
"Nelson identified the NIHE system for maintenance payments was shambolic and therefore reasonably asked that no reallocation of Red Sky's work be made until arrangements were put in place to ensure that no firms guilty of the same practices were rewarded with new contracts."
Sinn Féin's Máirtín Ó Muilleoir said the report's findings were "very worrying if true".
"It is clear this report raises very serious questions which must be answered as soon as possible," he said.
"This report cannot be simply dismissed by the DUP. The issues it raises have to be dealt with openly and transparently."
