Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
How Arlene got the bird..
DUP elite got free birds from RHI scheme firm
POULTRY giant Moy Park gave Arlene Foster and Jonathan Bell free turkeys during the RHI scandal, a new book claims.
The DUP leader accepted a 14kg bird worth £65 while whistleblower MLA Bell reportedly instructed a senior civil servant to enquire “Do you have anything bigger?” when offered a small, medium or large one.
Sam Mcbride’s book BURNED: The Inside Story Of The Cash-for-ash Scandal reports Mrs Foster declared the gift but the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment has “no record” of her ex-party colleague doing the same.
In a statement to the Mirror, the poultry firm said: “Traditionally, Moy Park has gifted Christmas turkeys to various charities, journalists, academics, business groups and industry organisations and to political representatives across parties in roles relevant to the food sector.
“This is simply a seasonal gesture of goodwill showcasing our local produce.”
A spokesman for the DUP added it would not be appropriate for the party to comment on issues related to the RHI inquiry before it has been completed.
The books says it is “of course, common for many businesses to send gifts at Christmas, and only the most venail of ministers would be influenced by a few mouthfuls of free turkey when it came to decide on the expenditure of hundreds of millions of pounds”.
Other revelations in the epic tale of how the RHI scandal unfolded include how Mr Bell travelled to Stephen Nolan’s home overlooking Strangford Lough to spill the beans.
He “positioned himself at the end of the dining room table” with a tape recorder in front of him and a number of Nolan’s team before he “opened up”. The book states: “At points, he would veer off to relate tales that were irrelevant to RHI but revealed the level of distrust that now existed between himself and DUP colleagues.
“He had brought tape recordings and bulky paper files from his old department to back up his riveting tale.
“Some of what he said has never been broadcast for legal reasons and because it is not clear whether it is accurate.”
The book goes on to claim Mr Bell “referred to allegations” that one senior DUP member “had been having an affair” with a politician and “another senior DUP member had taken drugs”. It adds: “Seamlessly, he would shift from those lurid tales of alleged iniquity to impressing upon his listeners the fervency of his faith.
“Over coming days, Bell would repeatedly tell Nolan that God had told him to come to him with the story.”
The book “is the culmination of almost three years’ work” uncovering elements of the scandal and reports in detail on Sir Patrick Coghlin’s public inquiry.
It held 111 public evidence sessions and published tens of thousands of pages of written evidence.
■ BURNED is out tomorrow with an RRP of £16.99/€18.95.