Two court service officials face probe over trip

Two senior court officials have been suspended pending an probe into a holiday in Copenhagen with the head of a private security firm.

In a statement the Northern Ireland Court Service confirmed that police had been called in to investigate the matter and that an independent investigation would examine the circumstances surrounding the trip.

The statement read: "The Northern Ireland Court Service has asked the PSNI to investigate the circumstances surrounding the participation of two of its officials in a sailing holiday at the invitation of a prominent contractor.

"Pending the outcome of the investigation the two officials have been suspended from duty.

"The Northern Ireland Court Service has also established an independent investigation focusing on its policy for the acceptance of gifts and hospitality."

The Court Service confirmed that a former senior NI civil servant, David Watkins, will head the independent inquiry with support from an internal Court Service unit.

In July of this year, two court officials, the Head of Procurement Service, Brian Lowery, and the Head of Court Operations, George Keatly, accompanied Richard Maybin on a sailing trip on board his yacht in Denmark.

In 2001, the Northern Ireland Court Service agreed a contract worth in excess of £4 million with Maybin for the provision of security and other services.

Under the five-year contract, Maybin provide a range of security and other services to the Northern Ireland Court Service.

This contract, under which some of the responsibility for security services formerly carried out by police was passed to Maybin, was in line with recommendations contained in the Criminal Justice Review.

(SP/MB)