Judge says IRA dirty money claim ‘baseless’
Belfast Telegraph
By David Gordon
28 January 2008
An IRA money laundering claim made against a businessman by a DUP politician was back in the spotlight today after a High Court judge described it as ” baseless”.
Mr Justice Gillen made the statement while rejecting a judicial review taken by the Sheridan Group, headed by Belfast developer Peter Curistan.Mr Curistan was accused under parliamentary privilege by DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson in February 2006 of a link to “IRA dirty money”.
He strongly denied the claim and argued that it led to his company being ditched later in the year from an investment scheme for the publicly owned Queen’s Quay site in Belfast.Mr Justice Gillen today rejected Sheridan’s judicial review case against the Queen’s Quay decision, dismissing allegations of bad faith and unfairness against the Government.
The judge concluded that the company’s axing from the project was due to an accounting review which had shown up corporate governance weaknesses.
However, he also referred to money laundering allegations as “baseless” — echoing a comment by a Government lawyer during the hearing of the case last month.Mr Curistan today said he was disappointed with the ruling, adding: “Nevertheless, I am completely satisfied with the comprehensive vindication of my own personal reputation, and that of my company, by the trial judge in relation to the malicious and unfounded allegations made by Peter Robinson in the privileged confines of the House of Commons some time ago.”
