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Ex-Tughans solicitor Ian Coulter pictured for first time

Former Tughans managing partner Ian Coulter at his holiday home. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
Former Tughans managing partner Ian Coulter at his holiday home. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin Former Tughans managing partner Ian Coulter at his holiday home. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin

THIS is the first picture of the solicitor at the centre of the north's Nama controversy since the scandal broke almost a fortnight ago.

Ian Coulter was photographed this week at his holiday home on the north coast.

The former managing partner of Tughans last night spoke out for the first time since sensational allegations emerged surrounding the Nama northern property portfolio deal.

Tughans has said Mr Coulter left the firm in January and an investigation was launched after £7m was found in an offshore account.

It followed shock claims in the Dáil that an Isle of Man bank account linked to the Nama deal was earmarked for a Northern Ireland politician or political party.

The allegations have prompted an inquiry by the Republic's public accounts committee, Stormont's finance committee, and a criminal probe led by the UK National Crime Agency.

Mr Coulter (43) had kept a low profile since independent TD Mick Wallace made his claims in the Dáil on July 2.

The solicitor spent the Twelfth on the north coast.

No-one answered the door when The Irish News called on Monday in a bid to speak to him about the Nama controversy, although he was later seen emerging from one of two Mercedes 4x4s parked in the driveway.

He joined Tughans from a City of London firm in 1997 and had been a partner since 2001 before becoming its managing partner five years ago.

Tughans carried out work on the purchase of the Nama (National Asset Management Agency) property loan portfolio in April last year by New York firm Cerberus.