Claims by Mr Ray Burke that he held a bank account in an AIB London branch were rejected by the former bank manager of that branch at the tribunal yesterday. Mr Timothy McHale, manager of the AIB Bruton Street branch from 19811989, insisted the former Fianna Fail minister did not hold an account at that branch. "I have no recollection of Mr Burke having a current account or any account in Bruton Street."
Mr Burke earlier had told the tribunal that he had routed money through an account in the Bruton Street AIB branch. However, the tribunal has been unable to find documentation to prove the existence of this account.
Details of bank transactions produced by the tribunal showed that Mr Burke did not hold the account, Mr McHale said. Ms Patricia Dillon SC, for the tribunal, had pointed to a number of transactions between Mr Burke's Isle of Man account and the Bruton Street branch. These monies would not have been transferred by cheques or bank drafts had an account existed in Bruton Street, Mr McHale said. They would have been moved by way of inter-bank transfers.
Mr McHale also contradicted evidence by Mr Burke on when the two men first met. Mr Burke had told the tribunal he first met Mr McHale in late 1981. Yesterday he said he was "quite satisfied" that he had met Mr Burke in March 1982, at the Cheltenham racing festival.
Mr Aidan Walsh SC, for Mr Burke, said his client was not at Cheltenham in 1982 because there had just been an election and he had become part of the new government. Mr McHale was still adamant he had not met Mr Burke until 1982. He remembered because it was his first year to look after the hospitality box.
Mr Burke had entered the hospitality box with some AIB customers who were well-known to him, people of "great calibre", Mr McHale said. He recalled that Mr Burke was a "a leading figure" in politics. Mr Walsh pointed to Mr McHale's statement to the tribunal, where he said his memory was "naturally a little bit suspect" after such a long of time. Mr McHale said he was absolutely satisfied about this recollection.
Mr McHale accepted he had no recollection of completing documentation for Mr Burke in 1982, until the tribunal drew his attention to it. He had helped Mr Burke in making an application to open a bank account in AIB's Isle of Man branch. He also accepted he had assisted Mr Burke when he sought to withdraw money from his Isle of Man account while at Cheltenham.
