By Ciarán D’Arcy
The Cabinet does not appear to be prepared to discuss calls for an inquiry into Nama. Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald said on Monday that the Public Accounts Committee was the appropriate body to investigate the issue.
Commenting on allegations made in the Dáil last week by independent TD Mick Wallace in relation to the sale by the State's asset management agency of €5.7 billion worth of property loans to US investment firm Cerberus for a 72 per cent discount, the minister echoed Tánaiste Joan Burton's calls for anyone with information on any potentially illegal activities to go to the police.
“I have no doubt the Minister for Finance would be supportive of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) examining the information that’s come into the public arena. But I would say again that if anybody has information about wrongdoing in this State it should be reported to An Garda Síochána.”
She reiterated Nama's stance that no allegation of wrongdoing has been made against it. But she refused to be drawn on revelations that a member of Northern Irish law firm Tughans diverted almost €10 million from the 2014 deal into an Isle of Man bank account; monies which Mr Wallace alleged in the Dáil were reportedly intended for a Northern Irish politician.
“Clearly there is no allegation of wrongdoing against Nama… The Comptroller and Auditor General (C & AG) has staff down in Nama and has access to any documentation he (Mr Wallace) would require, so I think there are opportunities in a public place for these issues to be discussed.
“Certainly as Minister for Justice I wouldn’t comment on the details of any particular person who was involved in this. Clearly it’s being investigated in a variety of fora in the North and, as I said, there is opportunity in the PAC and in the work of the C & AG to put relevant facts in the public arena,” she added.
Speaking on Sunday, Wexford TD Mr Wallace said a full inquiry into the dealings of Nama was needed. He added that he will not be bringing the issue to the Garda.
Following his address to the Dáil last Thursday, it was revealed that Ian Coulter had left his role as managing director at the Belfast-based law firm Tughans after details of a secretive account containing diverted fees from the Project Eagle sale were discovered.
