TUV leader Jim Allister says cops need to investigate Spotlight allegations
TUV leader Jim Allister has called on the police to launch an urgent investigation into a two-part BBC Spotlight programme.
Last night, award winning reporter Mandy Macauley revealed that Sinn Fein had paid over £700,000 to a party run research company.
Research Services Ireland Ltd (RSI) is based in offices on the Springfield Road let out to it by the Clonard Residents’ Association whose chairman is convicted IRA bomber and leading Sinn Fein cheerleader Sean ‘Spike’ Murray.
RSI has two directors listed – one is Seamus Drumm and the other is ex-republian prisoner Sinead Walsh, wife of IRA terrorist Sid Walsh.
Spotlight called twice at the offices posing as a student hoping to get someone to help with local research.
During the second visit, viewers watched in shock as IRA killer turn Sinn Fein special advisor Mary McArdle turned up on the premises.
She promised to pass on the gentleman’s details to RSI but no one ever contacted him.
Drumm and Walsh both also run Sinn Fein’s finance team at the Assembly which is a clear conflict of Stormont rules.
The programme stated that Sinn Fein MLAs all claimed on their expenses that they used RSI for research work.
The highest amount was paid out by Sinn Fein’s deputy first minister Martin McGuinness. He claimed that he used RSI to the total value of £42,000.
In essence, Sinn Fein was ripping off public money to pay a bogus research company so it could boost its party coffers.
This is an offence under the Fraud Act.
In a statement today, TUV leader Jim Allister said: “After further shocking revelations on tonight’s Spotlight programme, it is imperative that the PSNI is called in to investigate several aspects which appear to involve criminality.
“In particular, the syphoning of public money by Sinn Fein to an apparently bogus research company must be thoroughly investigated, along with potential forgery.
“I will be writing to the Chief Constable accordingly and would urge the BBC to turn over their files to the police.
“Also, the Assembly authorities need to explain their inaction and failure to probe what was staring them in the face.”
