THE developer who invited Peter Robinson to celebrate the refinancing of his company's loans has played down his association with the DUP leader.
Paddy Kearney denied he enjoyed a "cosy relationship" with the first minister, who in 2013 wrote to Nama on the developer's behalf.
Appearing before the Stormont committee probing the sale of Nama's northern portfolio yesterday, Mr Kearney said there had been an "unfounded accusation" that the DUP leader had exerted influence on his behalf.
"I have met Peter Robinson on a number of occasions in his capacity as first minister of Northern Ireland," he told the Stormont finance committee hearing.
"To describe the relationship as friendship is at best a gross exaggeration of the truth. I suggest the person making the allegation research a dictionary for the definition of friendship."
In September loyalist blogger Jamie Bryson made allegations among which he claimed that Mr Kearney had received preferential treatment from Cerberus, the US firm which bought Nama's northern loan book for £1.24bn.
Mr Kearney, who previously lived in Gibraltar but has since returned to the north, refuted the allegation, insisting: "Cerberus don't do sweetheart deals".
He said he approached Mr Robinson when it became apparent to him that Nama was seeking to "collapse" his company and that the first minister subsequently wrote to the Republic's so-called bad bank.
He said he found the DUP leader to be a "helpful, compassionate, understanding person".
"There was nothing improper or sinister regrading my contact with him as has been alleged. All that he did for me was to write at my request and on my behalf to the CEO of Nama requesting a face to face meeting for me with senior personnel in Nama," he said.
Mr Kearney said those making allegations against him had a "grudge".
He said he invited the DUP leader and more than 20 other guests to a dinner in Carrickfergus to celebrate the refinancing of his loans with Jeffries LoneCore.
He was also scathing about Nama, who he claimed were not interested in developing assets and just wanted to "get as much money back as they could".
"I experienced Nama and its tactics first hand in 2013 when they attempted to take control of my company," he told the committee.
"They did their best to intimidate me and frighten me into destroying my business without any regard for the 100 plus jobs or families that depended on that business for their livelihood."
A Nama spokesman said that without commenting on particular debtors, its dealings with developers "sometimes led to robust engagement with debtors whose objective was to maximise their own return".
The spokesman said Mr Kearney's other comments were "simply untrue and have no basis in reality".
The finance committee hearing also heard from former RUC officer turned security consultant Alan Mains, who accompanied Mr Kearney, and took evidence from civil servants Tony Simpson and Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) permanent secretary David Sterling.
Questioning focused on an apparent change of policy at the department over whether Nama should sell its northern loan book. DUP ministers had previously voiced their opposition to a 'fire sale', which they believed would have had an adverse effect on the north's property market.
However, ahead of Nama selling its northern portfolio there appeared to be a change of heart within both DFP and the DUP, who latterly backed the Project Eagle sale where loans were sold to Cerberus at a significant discount.
Mr Sterling disagreed, saying ministers and officials had "remained consistent" in their opposition to a fire sale.
Asked if the department had carried out any assessment or received any independent advice on whether the closed sale to Cerberus would be good for the north's economy, Mr Sterling said there was not.
"I'm not aware that any assessment was carried out portfolio as to whether the sale of the loan portfolio would be a good or a bad thing at the time," he said.
