AN ORGANISATION facing allegations of exploiting south Belfast's Roma community attended Sinn Féin's party conference – a week after health trust staff made a party MLA aware of concerns.
The Romanian Roma Community Association of Northern Ireland (RRCANI) posted photos online on June 16 from Sinn Féin's ard fheis at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
RRCANI is at the centre of a police probe following claims that Roma families have been subjected to "exploitation and community control".
Sinn Féin's Máirtín Ó Muilleoir was told of "concerns" by the Belfast Trust in a letter dated June 8.
The Irish News on Tuesday revealed trust documentation exposing the extent of concerns over several months about alleged exploitation of Roma families.
Whistleblowers contacted the trust alleging RRCANI was charging Roma "large sums of money" for benefits advice – and "fraudulently filling out benefits applications without their consent".
In response, the trust moved its Early Years services for Roma from RRCANI's offices in the Holylands area to another location. RRCANI strongly denies the allegations.
Emails show that in May, Mr Ó Muilleoir wrote to the trust criticising the decision and seeking a meeting.
Martin Dillon, Belfast Trust chief executive, responded to Mr Ó Muilleoir on June 8, saying the decision was "based on concerns have been reported to us by individuals and partner organisations in relation to advice services delivered to RRCANI", and that "staff felt vulnerable while these issues were addressed".
He said he understood a senior member of his team had already contacted the MLA's office on June 1 "to explain our position".
An email on August 3 also refers to a "discussion between Martin Dillon and Máirtín Ó Muilleoir some weeks ago".
However in August when anonymous claims against RRCANI appeared online alleging exploitation, Mr Ó Muilleoir took to Twitter to publicly defend the organisation.
He said police had told him there were "no investigations underway" and he was "proud to stand" with RRCANI.
The following week the PSNI said it was "making enquiries into possible wrongdoing".
RRCANI's images from Sinn Féin's ard fheis show lanyards and views from the audience as party president Mary Lou McDonald addresses the conference.
Asked earlier this week why Mr Ó Muilleoir had given his backing to RRCANI after being made aware of Belfast Trust's concerns, a Sinn Féin spokeswoman said: "We wouldn't want to make any comment during a police inquiry."
When asked yesterday about the party conference images, Sinn Féin did not respond.
