News

Resignations linked to Charter NI cleaning company

Loyalist Dee Stitt with First Minister Arlene Foster, Drew Haire and Caroline Birch, both Mrs Birch and Stitt have resigned from 'cleaning company' NI Centurion, with only Mr Haire still listed as a director.
Loyalist Dee Stitt with First Minister Arlene Foster, Drew Haire and Caroline Birch, both Mrs Birch and Stitt have resigned from 'cleaning company' NI Centurion, with only Mr Haire still listed as a director. Loyalist Dee Stitt with First Minister Arlene Foster, Drew Haire and Caroline Birch, both Mrs Birch and Stitt have resigned from 'cleaning company' NI Centurion, with only Mr Haire still listed as a director.

Loyalist Dee Stitt has resigned as director of a cleaning company set up in September and registered to the address of community organisation Charter NI.

NI Centurion was registered a 'community interest' cleaning company on September 30 of this year at the same time the Executive Office announced a £1.7 million windfall for Charter NI for a job creation project in east Belfast.

The company was registered to the Newtownards Road offices of Charter, which as a registered charity is entitled to rate relief.

North Down UDA figure, Stitt was registered as director of NI Centurion as was Caroline Birch, the wife of senior loyalist Jimmy Birch.

Mrs Birch is a project manager for the community group, while a third director was listed as Charlene Sheridan. All three resigned on October 17 of this year after just over two weeks in post.

Only retired civil servant Drew Haire, who also sits on the board of Charter, remains a director of the cleaning company.

The company was intended to be used to create low paid community jobs as part of the project to seek employment for long term unemployed.

Charter NI, with Stitt as Chief Executive are lead partners in the employment project, with the project delivered by Gems NI.