DUP Finance and Personnel Minister Arlene Foster has said that she will not be sharing information her department holds about the Republic's bad bank with a Stormont scrutiny committee.
The assembly's finance and personnel committee is probing the controversy surrounding the £1.3 billion sale of Nama's northern debt portfolio. Last month independent TD Mick Wallace claimed £7m placed in an Isle of Man bank account was destined for a politician in the north. The money was lodged in the off-shore account by former Tughans managing partner Ian Coulter.
The revelations prompted the National Crime Agency to launch an investigation into the circumstances of the sale to Cerberus and an aborted bid by rival fund Pimco.
It is this criminal probe which Mrs Foster has cited in a letter to finance committee chairman Daithí McKay where she says her department has been advised not to take any steps which might prejudice the NCA investigation.
"The minister wrote that her department has been advised not to share further information with the committee until the department has engaged with the NCA," Mr McKay said last night.
The Sinn Féin MLA said that while DFP permanent secretary David Sterling would not be appearing before the committee tomorrow as scheduled, the inquiry would continue its work.
"We are firmly focused on areas that are clearly not affected by the NCA investigation as reflected in our terms of reference," Mr McKay said.
"No stone will be left unturned in our determination to establish the full facts of what happened."
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin will today launch series proposals which it believes will deliver the Republic's taxpayers a better return from the remaining assets controlled by Nama.
