Two men face fraud charges over a £1.2 billion Northern Ireland property loan deal in a Belfast trial starting next week.

The trial of Frank Cushnahan, 83, and Ian Coulter, 54, over fraud charges tied to a £1.2 billion Northern Ireland property loan deal begins next week at Belfast Crown Court. Both men, who have pleaded not guilty, face multiple charges related to the 2014 sale of the Nama loan portfolio to a US fund. Cushnahan is accused of failing to disclose information in 2013, while both are charged with fraud by false representation in April 2014. Coulter additionally faces charges involving a £9 million invoice and allegedly moving criminal property between September and December 2014. Judge Madam Justice McBride instructed the jury to base its decision solely on evidence, with the trial expected to last up to 12 weeks. Nama, established in 2009 by the Irish government, managed non-performing loans after the financial crisis.