The Mahon tribunal intends hearing evidence in public concerning Bertie Ahern's finances, writes Colm Keena
If the Mahon tribunal goes ahead today with its opening statement on the Quarryvale affair, it is expected to include details of its investigations into the personal finances of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern.
The tribunal is investigating allegations of planning corruption and its inquiries into Mr Ahern's personal financial affairs have occurred in the course of his effort to show that he did not receive any payment arising from planning corruption.
Property developer Tom Gilmartin has alleged that he was told by another property developer, Owen O'Callaghan, that he, Mr O'Callaghan, gave two sums of money to Mr Ahern in the early 1990s. The sums were £30,000 and £50,000 and were payments in connection with the Quarryvale project, Mr Gilmartin has said he was told.
Mr O'Callaghan has said the allegation is untrue. So too has the Taoiseach. As part of his response to the allegation, Mr Ahern has given the tribunal access to his personal financial records going back over a period of 20 years.
Mr Ahern did so to show there were no lodgements that could be traced back to Mr O'Callaghan. The tribunal has noted payments in 1993 and 1994 which, somewhat unexpectedly, it has now decided to hear evidence about in public. The hearing of evidence in public will allow the tribunal to make findings, based on evidence heard, on the matter of these payments and their relevance to its primary inquiry into the Quarryvale matter.
As disclosed last October by Mr Ahern, following an initial report in The Irish Times, he received the following amounts in the early 1990s:
£22,500 in December 1993. The money was collected by Des Richardson and Mr Ahern's solicitor and friend, the late Gerard Brennan, from eight people including Mr Richardson.
£16,500, seemingly in late 1994, from four people. The collection, Mr Ahern said, was organised by publican Dermot Carew, another friend of Mr Ahern.
£7,845stg given to Mr Ahern during a visit to Manchester in late 1994. Mr Ahern said the money was given to him by a number of Manchester businessmen, but he could not recall their names with certainty.
Mr Ahern also disclosed last October that during the period November 1987 to late 1993, he had no personal bank account and he saved £50,000 which he kept in his own possession, apparently in a safe.
He also gave details of how he had purchased his house in Drumcondra from Manchester-based businessman Michael Wall, in 1997, having rented it from Mr Wall for a few years previously.
He said he had an option to purchase the house at market value, and did so at around the time he first became Taoiseach.
It has now been learned that the tribunal has been told that some of the £50,000 mentioned above was used in doing up the house around the time Mr Ahern moved in, and that a further £30,000stg was given by Mr Wall towards work on the house.
This latter transaction was not mentioned by Mr Ahern in his public statements in October last year.
Mr Wall used the services of the solicitor, the late Mr Brennan, when purchasing the house. Mr Brennan also acted for a number of Irish companies belonging to Mr Wall, in the early 1990s.
While the tribunal will not hear evidence about any of these matters before the general election, it may well disclose aspects of the evidence it expects to hear, if it goes ahead this morning with its opening statement on the Quarryvale matter.
A number of prospective witnesses have been given material relating to the evidence expected to be heard concerning Mr Ahern's personal finances in the early 1990s. The material indicates Mr Ahern is being assisted by the forensic accountant, Des Peelo. Mr Peelo acted for the late Charles Haughey in his dealings with the Moriarty tribunal.
Mr Ahern has said the two payments he received from friends and supporters in Dublin were loans while the money given to him in Manchester - the £7,845stg - was a gift. Neither type of payment created a tax liability. He repaid the loans in the wake of the public controversy last October.
He also said the financial support was given to him in the context of the finalisation of his legal separation from his wife Miriam.