A former Fianna Fáil TD charged with obtaining a tax clearance certificate by false pretences never disputed ownership of a bogus non-resident account, a bank official has told a jury at his trial.
Michael Collins (66), Red House Hill, Patrickswell, Co Limerick, is accused of claiming he was tax compliant at a time when he held a bogus non-resident account at the AIB bank in Kilmallock, Co Limerick.
The former Limerick West TD has pleaded not guilty at Limerick Circuit Court to obtaining a tax clearance certificate by false pretences in an application to the Collector General in 2002.
Yesterday, after 1½ days of legal argument, the jury heard evidence from John O'Keefe, manager at Kilmallock AIB since 1999.
He said that following a directive from AIB's head office in 2002, they identified all non-resident accounts at the Co Limerick bank. A subsequent investigation revealed that Michael and Una Collins were beneficiaries of an external deposit account registered to Joseph and Ann Collins, Croydon, Surrey.
A deposit of €10,000 was made to open the account in May 1984 and in February 1987 €1,000 was withdrawn and then lodged into another account in the name of Michael Collins, the court heard.
This was reported to AIB headquarters in Dublin and letters were sent out to Michael and Una Collins, according to Mr O'Keefe.
He said he met Mr Collins after he had received the letter. "Mr Collins never disputed ownership of the account," said Mr O'Keefe.
During cross-examination by counsel for the State Paul O'Higgins, the witness confirmed that Mr Collins never accepted ownership of the account either and agreed it could have been an account held by his wife, Una.
The jury is due to begin considering its verdict today.