News

First Minister's son breaks silence on Nama deal

PR man: Gareth Robinson, pictured with his father Peter Robinson
PR man: Gareth Robinson, pictured with his father Peter Robinson PR man: Gareth Robinson, pictured with his father Peter Robinson

FIRST Minister Peter Robinson's son has broken his silence to deny any involvement in the Nama property scandal that has rocked Stormont.

Gareth Robinson last night told The Irish News he welcomes any probe into the £1.3bn sale to US investment company Cerberus, as the PSNI confirmed it is to launch a criminal investigation.

It came as Martin McGuinness revealed he had no knowledge of a meeting between Peter Robinson, Cerberus chairman and former US Vice President Dan Quayle and the solicitor at the centre of the affair.

The Deputy First Minister said a judicial inquiry may be needed to examine the controversy.

Sensational claims were made in the Dail last week linking £7m found in an offshore bank account following the Nama sale to a Northern Ireland politician or party.

Law firm Tughans has said Ian Coulter, its former managing partner, "diverted" the money into an Isle of Man account without the knowledge of other staff.

The Irish News revealed yesterday that the First Minister held a secret meeting in Belfast with Mr Quayle, finance minister Simon Hamilton and Mr Coulter in March last year.

Mr McGuinness, who met Mr Quayle in a ministerial capacity later last year, said the March meeting - just 10 days before the Cerberus deal was struck - could not have been official.

"If such a meeting took place it was not a formal or official meeting with OFMDFM as it was not processed thought the department. I was not aware of and had not agreed to any such meeting in respect of the joint office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister."

Mr Robinson's son Gareth last night said although he has carried out work for Tughans in the past, no representatives of his PR company Verbatim Communications "facilitated or were in any way involved in the sale of Nama assets to Cerberus".

"Neither the company nor anyone representing the company benefited from the Cerberus/Nama transaction nor did they ever expect to."