▁F oster ▁left ▁D ET I ▁and ▁became ▁Minister ▁for ▁Fin ance , ▁leaving ▁Jonathan ▁Bell ▁to ▁succeed ▁her ▁as ▁D ET I ▁Minister . ▁After ▁news ▁of ▁the ▁affair ▁broke , ▁Bell ▁said ▁on ▁the ▁BBC ▁Radio ▁Ul ster ▁programme ▁The ▁N olan ▁Show ▁that ▁D UP ▁special ▁advis ers ▁and ▁F oster ▁" inter ven ed " ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁closure ▁of ▁the ▁scheme . ▁He ▁also ▁claimed ▁that ▁F oster ▁tried ▁to ▁" cle anse ▁the ▁records " ▁by ▁hiding ▁her ▁invol vement ▁in ▁delay ing ▁the ▁scheme ' s ▁closure . ▁In ▁the ▁period ▁that ▁he ▁says ▁he ▁tried ▁to ▁close ▁the ▁scheme ▁and ▁the ▁scheme ' s ▁actual ▁closure , ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁sp ike ▁in ▁applications ▁which ▁caused ▁more ▁money ▁to ▁be ▁allocated ▁to ▁the ▁scheme . ▁After ▁the ▁interview , ▁Bell ▁was ▁susp ended ▁from ▁the ▁D UP . ▁ ▁Investig ation ▁A ▁total ▁of ▁ 1 , 9 4 6 ▁applications ▁had ▁been ▁received ▁by ▁D ET I ▁for ▁the ▁scheme . ▁ 9 8 % ▁of ▁applic ants ▁received ▁by ▁D ET I ▁were ▁approved . ▁After ▁civil ▁servants ▁started ▁to ▁discuss ▁closing ▁the ▁scheme , ▁an ▁additional ▁ 9 4 8 ▁applications ▁were ▁made ▁between ▁September ▁and ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁This ▁enabled ▁the ▁applications ▁to ▁be ▁determined ▁before ▁any ▁changes ▁to ▁the ▁scheme ▁took ▁place . ▁ ▁Storm ont ' s ▁Public ▁Account s ▁Committee ▁( P AC ) ▁opened ▁an ▁investigation ▁into ▁the ▁scheme ▁because ▁the ▁scheme ▁ran