Latest news with #DaithiMcKay
The Independent
03-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Bryson and McKay cleared in Nama trial
Three men, including loyalist activist Jamie Bryson and former Sinn Fein MLA Daithi McKay, have been cleared at Belfast Crown Court of charges relating to misconduct in public office. Mr Bryson, 35, from Rosepark in Donaghadee, and co-accused Thomas O'Hara, 41, from Lisnahunshin Road in Cullybackey, were found not guilty of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office. The charges had related to a Stormont committee hearing that examined the sale of the National Asset Management Agency's (Nama) Northern Ireland assets in 2015. Mr McKay, 43, from Loughan Road in Dunnamanagh – who was chairman of the finance committee at the time – was found not guilty of misconduct in public office. Mr Bryson and Mr McKay said there are now questions for the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) over why the prosecution was brought. The PPS has said the available evidence had indicated it was in the public interest to prosecute. Trial judge Gordon Kerr KC said he believed Mr Bryson had lied while giving evidence in the case, but said he was not involved in a criminal conspiracy. The long-running Nama trial had related to Mr Bryson's 2015 appearance before the Stormont committee, chaired by Mr McKay, which was investigating the sale of Nama's Northern Ireland assets to a US investment fund. The criminal probe was launched after the publication of leaked Twitter messages between Mr Bryson, Mr McKay and the account of Mr O'Hara, who at the time was a Sinn Fein activist in north Antrim. Mr McKay quit as an MLA within hours of the Twitter messages being published in August 2016. The Stormont Finance Committee inquiry was set up in 2015 amid political controversy over the multimillion-pound sale of Nama's property portfolio. Nama, the so-called bad bank created by the Irish government to deal with the toxic loans of bailed-out lenders during the economic crash, sold its 800 Northern Ireland-linked properties to investment fund Cerberus for £1.2 billion. Giving evidence to the committee in 2015, Mr Bryson used Assembly privilege to name former DUP leader Peter Robinson as a beneficiary of the sale. The then-first minister of Northern Ireland strongly rejected any suggestion he benefited from the deal. All other parties involved in the transaction also denied wrongdoing. Delivering his judgment in the non-jury trial on Thursday, the judge said: 'Despite his lies in court, I am sure that Mr Bryson was at all times communicating with Mr McKay. 'I am sure that the communications were designed to give Mr Bryson the best advice and guidance to maximise his chances of giving evidence. 'My analysis of the messages do not show any occasion where Mr McKay undertook to say or do anything outside his duties as chairman to ensure Mr Bryson's evidence would be in open session. 'Clearing Mr Bryson, the judge said the evidence did not establish there had been a criminal conspiracy between him and Mr McKay. He said: 'In the absence of an agreement, the conspiracy charge must fail.' Turning to Mr McKay, the judge said there was 'no doubt he deliberately misled the committee to ease the way for Mr Bryson's presentation'. The judge pointed out the Assembly had its own code of conduct and said there was 'no precedent for a prosecution in these circumstances'. Clearing Mr McKay, he added: 'I do not consider it my role to expand the offence.' The judge said the evidence against Mr O'Hara 'fell well short' of anything which would convince him of his guilt.
The Independent
03-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Bryson and McKay found not guilty in ‘Nama trial'
Three men have been cleared at Belfast Crown Court of charges relating to misconduct in public office. Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson, 35, from Rosepark in Donaghadee, and co-accused Thomas O'Hara, 41, from Lisnahunshin Road in Cullybackey, were found not guilty of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, relating to a Stormont committee hearing that examined the sale of the National Asset Management Agency's (Nama) Northern Ireland assets in 2015. Former Sinn Fein MLA Daithi McKay, 43, from Loughan Road in Dunnamanagh – who was chair of the finance committee at the time, was found not guilty of misconduct in public office. The long-running Nama trial had related to Mr Bryson's 2015 appearance before the Stormont committee, chaired by Mr McKay, which was investigating the sale of the Nama's Northern Ireland assets to a US investment fund. The criminal probe was launched after the publication of leaked Twitter messages between Mr Bryson, Mr McKay and the account of Mr O'Hara, who at the time was a Sinn Fein activist in north Antrim. Mr McKay quit as an MLA within hours of the Twitter messages being published in August 2016. The Stormont Finance Committee inquiry was set up in 2015 amid political controversy over the multimillion-pound sale of Nama's property portfolio north of the border. Nama, the so-called bad bank created by the Irish government to deal with the toxic loans of bailed-out lenders during the economic crash, sold its 800 Northern Ireland-linked properties to investment fund Cerberus for £1.2 billion. Giving evidence to the committee in 2015, Mr Bryson used Assembly privilege to name former DUP leader Peter Robinson as a beneficiary of the sale. The then-first minister of Northern Ireland strongly rejected any suggestion he benefited from the deal. All other parties involved in the transaction also denied wrongdoing. Delivering his judgment in the non-jury trial on Thursday, Judge Gordon Kerr KC cleared all three of the charges they faced.
Irish Times
03-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson and former Sinn Féin MLA Daithí McKay cleared in Nama misconduct trial
Three men, including loyalist activist Jamie Bryson and former Sinn Féin MLA Daithí McKay, have been cleared at Belfast Crown Court of charges relating to misconduct in public office. Mr Bryson (35), from Rosepark, Donaghadee, Co Down, and co-accused Thomas O'Hara (41), from Lisnahunshin Road, Cullybackey, Co Antrim, were found not guilty of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office. The charges related to a Stormont finance committee hearing that examined the sale of the National Asset Management Agency's (Nama) Northern Ireland assets in 2015. Mr McKay (43), from Loughan Road, Dunnamanagh, Co Tyrone – who was chairman of the Stormont finance committee at the time – was found not guilty of misconduct in public office. Daithi McKay outside Belfast Crown Court on Thursday. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire Mr Bryson and Mr McKay said there were questions for the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) to answer over why the prosecution was brought. Trial judge Gordon Kerr KC said he believed Mr Bryson had lied while giving evidence in the case, but said he was not involved in a criminal conspiracy. The long-running trial related to Mr Bryson's 2015 appearance before the committee, chaired by Mr McKay, which was investigating the sale of Nama's Northern Ireland assets to US investment fund Cerberus for £1.2 billion. The criminal inquiry opened after the publication of leaked Twitter messages between Mr Bryson, Mr McKay and the account of Mr O'Hara, who at the time was a Sinn Féin activist in north Co Antrim. Mr McKay quit as an MLA within hours of the messages being published in August 2016. Thomas O'Hara outside Belfast Crown Court on Thursday. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire Giving evidence to the committee in 2015, Mr Bryson used Assembly privilege to name former DUP leader Peter Robinson as a beneficiary of the sale. The then-first minister strongly rejected any suggestion he benefited from the deal. All other parties involved in the transaction also denied wrongdoing. Delivering his judgment in the non-jury trial on Thursday, Judge Kerr said: 'Despite his lies in court, I am sure that Mr Bryson was at all times communicating with Mr McKay. 'I am sure that the communications were designed to give Mr Bryson the best advice and guidance to maximise his chances of giving evidence. 'My analysis of the messages do not show any occasion where Mr McKay undertook to say or do anything outside his duties as chairman to ensure Mr Bryson's evidence would be in open session.' Clearing Mr Bryson, the judge said the evidence did not establish there had been a criminal conspiracy between him and Mr McKay. 'In the absence of an agreement, the conspiracy charge must fail.' Turning to Mr McKay, the judge said there was 'no doubt he deliberately misled the committee to ease the way for Mr Bryson's presentation'. The judge pointed out the Assembly had its own code of conduct and said there was 'no precedent for a prosecution in these circumstances'. 'I do not consider it my role to expand the offence,' the judge added. He said the evidence against Mr O'Hara 'fell well short' of anything which would convince him of his guilt. Asked outside the court about Judge Kerr's view that he had lied during his evidence, Mr Bryson said: 'Absolutely not, I told the truth about all of my evidence. 'I absolutely didn't; the fact is this, no crime, I am innocent, that is the end of the matter.' He added: 'To drag us through the gutters for 10 years and to top that off with a seven-week trial raises massive questions for the Public Prosecution Service.' Mr McKay's lawyer, Michael Madden, said his client had been vindicated by the judgment. 'Daithí McKay has already paid a heavy price for the decision of the PPS to prosecute this case. He was placed in a legal pressure cooker for 10 years and has had to endure a seven-week trial.' – PA
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Three men cleared of charges in Nama trial
Three men, including loyalist activist Jamie Bryson and former Sinn Féin assembly member Daithi McKay, have been cleared of charges relating to misconduct in public office. Mr Bryson, 35, from Rosepark, Donaghadee was charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office in September 2015. Mr McKay, 43, from Loughan Road, Dunnamanagh, was accused of misconduct in public office. Former Sinn Féin party worker Thomas O'Hara, from Lisnahunshin Road, Cullybackey, also faced a conspiracy charge. The case centred on a meeting of a Stormont committee 10 years ago, related to the National Asset Management Agency, known as Nama. Mr Bryson gave evidence at the meeting, which was chaired by Mr McKay, a Sinn Féin member of the Assembly at the time. Mr Bryson's evidence to the committee was about the alleged wrongdoing around how Northern Ireland property loans were handled by Nama. In his remarks before delivering his verdict on Mr Bryson, the judge said he believed he had "lied on oath" during part of his evidence to the court. However, the judge concluded there was no criminal conspiracy between him and Mr McKay and both were acquitted. Mr O'Hara insisted during the four-week trial that he did nothing wrong. Judge Gordon Kerr KC delivered his judgement in the case on Thursday, two weeks after the trial ended. The meeting of Stormont's finance committee took place on 23 September 2015. The prosecution argued that procedural rules of the committee were subverted, through secret messages before the meeting between the three defendants. Mr Bryson admitted sending a series of private messages to Mr McKay and Mr O'Hara but insisted they did not break any laws. Mr McKay resigned from the Assembly in 2016 after claims emerged in the Irish News and on the BBC's Nolan Show that he had "coached" Mr Bryson before the meeting the previous year. After a complaint was made to the police, and investigation began which resulted in charges and ultimately a court case.
BBC News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Nama trial: Three cleared over charges linked to misconduct in public office
Three men, including loyalist activist Jamie Bryson and former Sinn Féin assembly member Daithi McKay, have been cleared of charges relating to misconduct in public Bryson, 35, from Rosepark, Donaghadee was charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office in September McKay, 43, from Loughan Road, Dunnamanagh, was accused of misconduct in public Sinn Féin party worker Thomas O'Hara, also faced a conspiracy charge. The case centred on a meeting of a Stormont committee 10 years ago, related to the National Asset Management Agency, known as Bryson gave evidence at the meeting, which was chaired by Mr McKay, a Sinn Féin member of the Assembly at the time.
