A long-running fraud trial arising from the sale of the Northern Ireland loan book concluded for the Christmas break today.
The nine men and three woman of the jury were addressed by the trial judge and told to return to court on January 5, 2026 when the hearing is set to resume.
Prior to this, the jury heard a transcript of the final interview Frank Cushnahan had with police and representatives of the National Crime Agency (NCA) at Antrim Police Station on October 17, 2018.
Cushnahan, who is 83 and from Alexandra Gate in Holywood, is currently on trial at Belfast Crown Court on a charge of fraud.
The corporate financier has been accused of, and denies, fraud by failing to disclose information between April 1 and November 7, 2013.
The charge relates to the sale of the Northern Ireland property loan book held by the National Assets Management Agency (NAMA).
The Irish Government formed Nama in 2009 following the property crash and banking crisis and its purpose was to take over billons of pounds of property development debts held by a number of banks in the Republic.
During his final interview with the NCA in October 2018, Cushnahan once again asked about his involvement in a proposed deal to sell the Northern Ireland loan book to US investment fund Pimco and whether he stood to benefit financially from the deal.
The jury heard that when he was asked if he ever used his knowledge of NAMA debts and debtors to influence the purchase of the loan book for his own profit, Cushnahan said "no."
He was also asked if he was to receive any financial gain from the purchase of the loan book to Pimco and he again replied "no."
The final question Cushnahan was asked during the interview was whether he got any financial reward and he said "none."
After this portion of evidence concluded, Crown barrister Jonathan Kinnear KC told Madam Justice McBride that this was "almost the end of the prosecution case."
He said the Crown will be in a position to close its case when the hearing resumes in January.
The senior judge then addressed the jury and told the 12 members that their roles as jurors had concluded for the Christmas break.
Madam Justice McBride warned the jurors not to discuss the case with anyone over the holidays or to carry out their own research.
"It just remains for me to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year," she said.
"We're back on 5 January and we're back at half ten and hopefully in the New Year we will get to the conclusion of this matter," she added.
