Statement by Beverly Cooper-Flynn TD July 1, 1998.
Through his appearance on RTE television and radio at lunchtime today, James Howard has finally accepted that he was the person who on June 18 last, under the cloak of anonymity, made allegations about me when I was an employee of NIB [National Irish Bank].
I wish to respond to what he said.
Mr Howard alleges that I facilitated him to put money into an offshore account to evade tax. He further states that in 1993 I told him not to take advantage of the tax amnesty, but rather to hide his money offshore.
The facts are as follows. In my years at NIB I have never encouraged anyone to invest in a financial product as a means of evading his or her obligations to pay tax.
The tax amnesty was introduced in 1993. In 1993 I was not working for NIB in the area where Mr Howard then resided. The records of NIB show that in 1993 Mr Howard purchased a CMI [Clerical Medical Insurance] product.
Those records also show that another employee of NIB sold the product to Mr Howard and was paid commission for doing so. I have received written confirmation from NIB today that Mr Howard's file within NIB contains no reference whatsoever to me.
I have in recent days been calling upon RTE to confirm that Mr Howard was the person who appeared on their broadcast on June 19 last and to withdraw the allegations that he made about me. They have never replied to my requests. Today, without even affording me the courtesy of an opportunity to reply to what Mr Howard was to say, they broadcast another interview with him unchallenged.
What Mr Howard said on that interview was false.
I have been shamefully treated by RTE. They have again, without affording me an opportunity to reply, broadcast falsehoods about me.
I have, therefore, today instructed solicitors to institute proceedings against RTE and Mr Howard.