Chairman of Charter NI says he’s not retiring over CEO Dee Stitt controversy

The chairman of the east Belfast community organisation Charter NI has resigned. Drew Haire has said he has left for health reasons and his decision is not connected to the on-going controversy surrounding its chief executive Dee Stitt. Charter NI received £1.7m from Stormont's Social Investment Fund. Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Martin told me in December that some individuals in Charter NI had "connections" to the UDA. He said he believed these individuals had taken part in paramilitary activity "in the past year". Stephen spoke with Drew Haire this morning.