One of the donors of cash to Bertie Ahern is a former business associate of Des Richardson, writes Colm Keena
The continuing inquiry into the personal finances of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is finding it necessary to delve into the business dealings of his long-time associate, Des Richardson.
Richardson, a busy and successful businessman, seems to have given so much time over the years towards supporting Ahern more out of personal friendship and admiration than any party political enthusiasm. Though he was its chief fundraiser for many years, he was never an official of Fianna Fáil and has never been a member.
His business dealings in the 1980s and 1990s are being dragged into the tribunal's inquiries as it seeks to follow the money trail of one small part of a collection for Ahern that Richardson has said he part organised in December 1993.
The tribunal heard more evidence yesterday concerning an NCB cheque dated December 15th, 1993, which it seems was issued following a request for funds from Richardson to NCB's then managing director, Padraic O'Connor. The NCB cheque was issued on foot of what was a bogus invoice from an employment agency called Euro Workforce, dated December 14th.
Richardson has said he bought a draft for £5,000 on the back of a promise of funds by O'Connor and gave the draft to Ahern. He does not accept that he had anything to do with the bogus invoice.
Issuing the invoice allowed Euro Workforce to convey that fact to its bank, Bank of Ireland Commercial Finance, which as part of a factoring agreement it had with the company, allowed it to draw down up to 75 per cent of the invoice value. When the cheque arising from the invoice was eventually paid, it was sent to the bank, which deducted what had been drawn down and lodged the remainder to Euro Workforce.
On the same date the money was drawn down by Euro Workforce, a payment was made by it to a company of Richardson called Willdover. Also a payment equal to about 75 per cent of the invoice value was made to something called Trent, which may or may not have a connection with Trentvalley Ltd, another company with which Richardson was involved.
Richardson bought the draft on December 22nd using funds from a company called Roevin Ireland Ltd. The tribunal has not as yet established that Roevin was reimbursed.
The Roevin aspect of the story fits perfectly into ongoing themes of complexity and confusion. Richardson was involved and at times owned an employment agency business called Workforce. At various stages he was involved with different partners. These included Tim Collins, another close associate of the Taoiseach, and Michael Collins (no relation), one of the friends Ahern has said contributed cash to him in December 1993.
Michael Collins, the tribunal heard, is a British citizen who in the 1990s had business interests in Ireland, England and Australia. He is now understood to live in Australia.
The Workforce business was eventually sold to Euro Workforce, owned by Des Maguire, and, as part of the arrangement, Euro Workforce made payments to Willdover. At one stage the Workforce business was owned by a Manchester-based group called Roevin. It had a Dublin subsidiary, Roevin Ireland, of which Richardson was a director. The group went bust and as part of the arrangements, Richardson said, he was given ownership of the money in Roevin Ireland's bank account.
Roevin Ireland never went into receivership. It last filed accounts in 1989 and it was dissolved in 1995. Is it any wonder tribunals move so slowly?