A man involved with two human rights organisations in Northern Ireland has been suspended over suspicion of being involved in racist abuse by Chelsea fans on the Paris Metro.

Richard Barklie, a 50-year-old former officer with the Royal Ulster Constabulary, was among fans identified by the Metropolitan Police after they refused to let a black man onto a train on the Metro, ahead of a match against Paris St Germain last week.

Barklie has been suspended from his role at the Wave Trauma Centre in Belfast, which helps victims of the Troubles. Barklie is also listed as a director at the World Human Rights Forum, an international organisation with offices in Northern Ireland. The organisation was reported to have confirmed its support for Barklie.

Belfast solicitor Kevin Winters issued a statement on Barklie’s behalf, in which he said that Barklie had been involved in the incident in which a man identified as Souleymane S was “unable to enter part of the train”, but that he had not taken part in racist singing and “condemns any behaviour supporting that”.

The statement said he had contacted the Metropolitan Police to “explain the context and circumstances” and wanted to “put on record his total abhorrence for racism”.

The statement also said he went to the match alone and did not know anyone shown in the video, had travelled to games for more than 20 years “without incident” and had never been part of any “group or faction” of Chelsea fans.

The statement added: “As someone who has spent years working with disadvantaged communities in Africa and India, he can point to a CV in human rights work which undermines any suggestion he is racist.”

It also said Barklie wanted to offer his “sincerest apologies for the trauma and stress suffered by Mr Souleymane”, but that “he readily acknowledges that any judgement on the integrity of his apology will be kept in abeyance pending the outworkings of the investigation”.