Police quiz TUV man over Paisley complaint
Councillor calls petition probe ‘a waste of time’
A TUV councillor who has been interviewed by the PSNI after disgraced MP Ian Paisley complained about a Facebook post during the recent North Antrim recall petition last night branded the probe “a waste of police time”.
Bannside councillor Timothy Gaston (left) said he had voluntarily attended Ballymena Police Station to be interviewed.
A TUV councillor has been interviewed by police and a Sinn Fein MLA is set to be questioned after disgraced MP Ian Paisley alleged that electoral law had been broken during the recent North Antrim recall petition process.
Timothy Gaston, who sits on Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, said he was quizzed by police in relation to a message he posted on social media during the six-week recall petition.
He told the Belfast Telegraph that he had voluntarily attended Ballymena PSNI Station to be interviewed yesterday after officers called at his home last week.
North Antrim Sinn Fein MLA Philip McGuigan said yesterday that he had also been contacted by police seeking an interview. He said that he had not yet been questioned, but was willing to attend a police station voluntarily.
Last month chief electoral officer Virginia McVea warned Mr McGuigan about a video he posted on social media that appeared to comment on the state of the petition during the recall process.
Under the Recall of MPs Act 2015, it is prohibited to publish a statement on whether a person has signed the petition before it closes.
Publishing any forecast of the result of the petition based on exit polling is also prohibited. To do so is punishable by a fine or up to six months’ imprisonment.
In September Mr Paisley, who is still barred from the House of Commons, said that he had made “at least three” complaints to the PSNI.
He alleged: “A number of people have breached section 124 of the election law and I have raised at least three specific complaints about individuals with police.
“It’s up to police now to take that forward. I know if I had breached the law in that way the same people would be asking questions.”
Mr Gaston said: “On September 4 I put up a post on Facebook which said that I had signed the recall petition.
“The next day the chief electoral officer Virginia McVea rang me to inform me she had received a complaint and the post was in breach of legislation. As a result I amended my post.”
Mr Gaston branded Mr Paisley’s complaint to the PSNI “a waste of police time”.
“The MP would be better putting his efforts into trying to resolve ongoing issues in Ballymena rather than focusing on social media posts,” he said.
“This is a waste of police time and it is adding to the expense already incurred by the disgraced MP having the petition.
“Why waste taxpayers’ money further having the police investigate social media, instead of being on the ground doing their job?”
Mr Gaston’s party said: “Once councillor Gaston was made aware of the issue with what he had posted on social media he immediately amended it.
“The real scandal in North
Antrim of course is the cost of Mr Paisley’s antics, both politically in terms of leaving constituents without a voice at Westminster, and financially given the cost of running the petition.
“The PSNI have plenty to be getting on with in North Antrim, with a particularly challenging situation in Ballymena at the moment.
“There will be many who will question Mr Paisley’s use of police time and resources.
“Constituents would rather see them on the ground investigating real crime, rather than being tied up investigating social media posts.”
Mr McGuigan said he was unfazed by the matter.
“The police have made contact with me but I haven’t been questioned, and they haven’t made a date for questioning,” he said.
“They informed me of a complaint against me and they want to interview me.
“I’ve no difficulty in answering questions. I presume it’s in relation to
a tweet, a video. It’s not something I’m particularly worried about — a lot of it is speculation.
“I will attend the police station voluntarily.”
Westminster’s first ever recall petition was initiated after Mr Paisley (below) was banned from the House of Commons for 30 sitting days for failing to declare two 2013 family holidays paid for by the Sri Lankan government.
In July a parliamentary watchdog found that a year after the luxury holidays Mr Paisley lobbied then Prime Minister David Cameron not to support a UN probe into alleged Sri Lankan human rights abuses during that country’s civil war.
Mr Paisley was suspended from the DUP, but that has since been lifted. He is barred from holding office within the party for a year. The recall petition fell short of the 10% of Mr Paisley’s constituents needed to force a by-election.
The PSNI confirmed that Mr Gaston had been interviewed.
“Police have received a report in relation to comments made on social media,” it said. “Enquiries are ongoing.”