The Moriarty tribunal is investigating bank accounts belonging to Mr Charles Haughey, the former Taoiseach, to which more than £1.5 million was lodged between 1979 and 1987. The accounts were in Mr Haughey's name and were held in Guinness & Mahon bank, Dublin, and are understood to be separate from the more secretive Ansbacher deposits, which were also held in that bank.
The disclosure indicates that the amount of money connected with Mr Haughey and companies related to him, which is the subject of investigation by the Moriarty tribunal, is now £3.3 million. The McCracken (Dunnes Payments) Tribunal, which investigated payments to Mr Haughey from Dunnes Stores, discovered payments totalling £1.3 million.
Counsel for the Moriarty tribunal, Mr John Coughlan SC, said yesterday that evidence would be heard relating to bank accounts in Mr Haughey's name held in Guinness & Mahon in the period 1979 to 1987. "In addition, certain other accounts of Mr Haughey and other sources of funds in his accounts will be examined, including loan accounts of Mr Haughey held both inside and outside the jurisdiction."
Mr Haughey became leader of Fianna Fail and Taoiseach for the first time in December 1979. Soon afterwards, he settled a debt of £1.143 million with AIB by paying the bank £750,000. The settlement was organised by his financial adviser and friend, the late Mr Des Traynor, who was deputy chairman of Guinness & Mahon. The funds came from an account in Guinness & Mahon in Mr Traynor's name. The Moriarty tribunal has said it believes the funds may have originated from Mr Patrick Gallagher, the property developer, and two other as yet unidentified individuals.
The former Fine Gael minister Mr Michael Lowry gave evidence to the tribunal yesterday. Mr Lowry and Mr Haughey are the two politicians named in the tribunal's terms of reference and yesterday was the first time details of the inquiries into Mr Lowry's affairs were given by the tribunal.
Mr Coughlan said that a payment of £15,000 to Mr Lowry from Dunnes Stores, which had not been discovered by the McCracken tribunal, was made in November 1992. This was "in the nature of a bonus payment" from Mr Ben Dunne to Mr Lowry, resulting from refrigeration work Mr Lowry carried carried out for Dunnes Stores.
Mr Coughlan also said that in May 1995, when Mr Lowry was Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, he received £35,000 in cash from Mr Patrick Doherty, a property developer, to whom he had sold antiques. In December 1992, during a meeting in the Royal Dublin hotel, Mr Bill Maher, of Maher Meats, handed Mr Lowry £25,000 in cash for refrigeration consultancy work done by Mr Lowry. Both cash amounts were lodged by Mr Lowry in an account he had with AIB in Dame Street, Dublin.
Mr Lowry returns to the witness box today.
