Robinson urged over legal opinion

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/8504368.stm

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Peter Robinson has been urged to make available to MLAs a legal opinion given to him over his alleged breach of the assembly's ministerial code.

Last week, the first minister said Paul Maguire QC had advised him he had not breached the code.

A BBC Spotlight programme raised questions about Mr Robinson's knowledge of his wife's financial dealing.

The SDLP's Alex Attwood said the legal opinion should be put into the Stormont library where MLAs could scrutinise it.

Mr Attwood raised the matter when the assembly was officially informed of Mr Robinson's return as first minister earlier on Monday.

The Speaker, William Hay, told the SDLP assembly member he should pursue his concerns by tabling questions rather than using a point of order.

Financial dealings

The BBC alleged that Mr Robinson did not report his wife's financial dealings to the authorities despite the obligations of the ministerial code.

The government's legal service, the Departmental Solicitor's Office, appointed Mr Maguire QC to look at the issue.

Last week, the DUP leader said Mr Maguire had formed the opinion, going on the information provided to him, that he had not breached the ministerial code.

The BBC said it was standing by the allegations made in the programme.

Separate investigations are being carried out into Mr Robinson's conduct by the Northern Ireland Assembly's Standards and Privileges Committee and the Westminster Standards Committee.

However, the assembly inquiry was later suspended after the police said they had launched a criminal investigation into Mrs Robinson's financial dealings.