SELWYN BLACK is central to the allegations broadcast by the BBC. A former RAF chaplain, he worked as an adviser to Iris Robinson at Stormont for some two years.
He resigned over Ms Robinson’s actions in helping her young lover to start his coffee shop business and turned whistleblower.
He told the BBC Spotlightprogramme she had encouraged Kirk McCambley to bid for the tender to run a new cafe at the Lock Keeper's Inn on the river Lagan in south Belfast.
The site was being redeveloped by Castlereagh council, of which Mrs Robinson was a member, and it was seeking a tenant to run the project on a business footing.
The programme said Ms Robinson also approached two businessmen with a view to providing start-up capital for Mr McCambley.
Spotlightalleges she did not declare any interest in the project.
Mr Black appears a meticulous worker, having kept more than 150 text messages from Ms Robinson and it was these which were provided to the BBC to support their claims. He also claimed that during telephone conversations with Ms Robinson on these issues while she and her husband were in their Florida holiday home, he could hear the First Minister who was “on her arm”.
Mr Black said the First Minister became aware of the situation and in December 2008 urged his wife to ensure that both loans were repaid to Mr Campbell and the estate of Mr Fraser.
However, it is claimed that he did not alert Castlereagh council, the Stormont Assembly, Westminster or any parliamentary watchdog that his wife may have broken rules.
“They both knew the consequences of what they had been involved in and did nothing to address that circumstance,” said Mr Black. “It goes right to the heart of credibility of government in Northern Ireland.”