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The best defence is a good offence
Read more about: Bertiegate, Corruption, Scandal, Tribunals
Clearly Bertie Ahern’s philosophy at Mahon today, deciding to build on what he perceives as a good day yesterday with his “none of your damn business” retort to questions about his separation arrangements. Two Three bits of actual news so far, below [updated].
Bertie is being a bit cagey about the timing of his knowledge of the “surprise” Christmas 1993 legal expenses dig-out. While he’s still claiming to have discouraged Gerry Brennan (RIP) to do a dinner to cover Bertie’s debt to Gerry Brennan, he’s now rationalising his December 23rd (or was it the 14th?) conversation with AIB about the loan and his intention to open a deposit account in terms of an inkling a had that a cash infusion was coming (not withstanding the 54,000 already in his safe).
Second, Bertie is raising the ante with NCB’s Padraic O’Connor, who as of now remains the most troubling documented contradiction of the dig-out tale:
He said that during his time as chairman of NCB Mr O’Connor was in his office endlessly. He said he knew him and his friends and family and even visited his house as well as attended many functions for him. In an angry response Mr Ahern said, ‘If years later he wants to disown me, doesn’t know me, then that’s his bloody business.’
Yet O’Connor has multiple witnesses to back up his version of how the contribution was solicited, leaving Des Richardson exposed since Bertie has already disavowed any detailed knowledge of how a payment to FF on a fake invoice to a formerly Richardson-controlled firm became a personal contribution to him.
[Add]. The Tribunal dropped a tantalising revelation as it closed –
Mr O’Neill told the Taoiseach it is examining a £5,000 lodgement to an Irish Permanent account in January 1994. The tribunal heard the amount was the subject of inquiries to the Revenue Commissioners from Des Peelo, who at Mr Ahern’s request prepared a report for the tribunal on various transactions under investigation.
An interesting amount as it corresponds to some of the dig-out contributions and yet we’ve already heard about all of those contributions. Or have we? And what was it doing in the Irish Permanent and not Bertie’s friendly bank of that period, AIB? And why did Des Peelo apparently think it was potentially taxable?
Harry McGee in his last Examiner contribution on his blog has a very detailed analysis of Bertie’s appearances this week.
http://www.harrymcgee.com/2007/12/inside-politics-outside-politics.html
He makes an interesting point which has crossed my mind a few times (and I suspect others too) that all this hiding money and dealing in cash was to avoid paying the ex-wife an allowance based on his real financial situation. McGee surmises that O’Neill getting too close to this deduction was the reason for the ratty behaviour.
There is a great deal of weight to that theory Barry, it certainly seems to fit with what has been coming out so far and the absolute inability of stories or theories to match up.
I am sure O’Neill has this too as do most people who are observing the tribunal (take some heavy hinting in todays Tribune for example). The thing is that this is hardly corrupt.
what is likely to emerge in the next while is whether there was a huge amount of ‘profit’ to bertie from the donations and if this can be related to some sort of corrupt conduct. Secondly whether the tribunal reports him to have given unreliable evidence. It seems that this story is now well beyond management and Bertie’s fate must simply wait.