The Mahon tribunal has heard evidence today that former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds ordered what was described as an "unscheduled" flight to an island in the Bahamas following a fund-raising trip to America in 1994.
The evidence follows allegations by developer Tom Gilmartin who has told the tribunal that he heard from relations in America and other sources that Albert Reynolds had raised over €1 million during the trip after the "euphoria of the Northern Ireland settlement".
Mr Gilmartin has attested that €70,000 was brought back from the US visit and given to the Fianna Fail party.
Today, the head of the Air Corps Brigadier General Ralph James said Mr Reynolds and a group of guests were flown by prior arrangement to New York, Chicago, Washington and on to Nassau in the Bahamas in March 1994.
However, he told the tribunal that the former Taoiseach had ordered an unscheduled flight from Nassau to Freeport island another of the Grand Bahamas where there was a six-hour stop, before the Government jet returned to Dublin.
Asked if Air Corp documents recorded the purpose of the trip to Freeport, Mr James testified that they did not.
In a statement issued this evening, Martin Mansergh TD said if Brigadier General James had been accurately quoted, his evidence was based on "faulty recollection".
Stating that he had been a member of the delegation to the United States as the Government's special advisor on Northern Ireland, Mr Mansergh said the then Taoiseach Mr Reynolds flew from Hartford, Connecticut to the Bahamas for the first official visit from Ireland, which was neither "informal" nor "unscheduled", and which lasted three days from Saturday till Monday inclusive.
According to Mr Mansergh Mr Reynolds was greeted with full military honours, including a multi-gun army salute, by the Prime Minister of the Bahamas at the airport.
He said and "official report of the talks in the Bahamas was drawn up, and is on file. There is no mystery about the visit."