Jamie Bryson representing himself in Nama criminal case, seeking to have charges thrown out

The potentially explosive case also involves two republicans – former MLA Daithi McKay and north Antrim Sinn Féin member Thomas O’Hara. All three are charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office.

All of the men deny the charges and sought a preliminary inquiry, which began yesterday in Downpatrick Magistrates Court, to have the case thrown out before trial.

The case relates to allegations of corruption around the sale of Nama’s £1.1 billion Northern Ireland property portfolio and centres on a 2015 Stormont committee hearing when Mr Bryson alleged – using Assembly privilege, meaning that he could not be sued for libel – that Peter Robinson stood to benefit from the £7m moved to an offshore bank account as part of the deal.

Mr Robinson immediately rebutted the allegation that the money was earmarked for five individuals, of whom he was one, saying he was never offered “a single penny”. Journalists were not allowed in court today due to pandemic restrictions, but were able to follow proceedings on a video link.

It subsequently emerged that there had been prior contact between the loyalist and Mr McKay, the Sinn Féin chairman of the Stormont committee where he made the claims. The prosecution, and the defence teams for Mr McKay and Mr O’Hara, have employed QCs. However, Mr Bryson is representing himself and yesterday cross-examined senior Assembly clerk Paul Gill.

Under questioning from Mr Bryson, Mr Gill accepted that if the committee had agreed to hear his evidence in closed session, “the public wouldn’t have heard it, wouldn’t have seen it” unless the committee later agreed to make it public.

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