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Ok so. a Few months ago I posted a summary of what Bertiegate was. But in recent days their has been more happening in Bertiegate. So here is a quick run down of recent days. Around this time Bertie was supposed to give evidence to the tribunal. However this date has been put back to September. A few weeks ago Bertie and his legal team challenged Mahon’s terms of reference. Basically arguing that Mahon’s jurisdiction did not include him. This after the election where he said he had no problem answering questions at the Tribunal. Funny how he changed his mind so quickly before the election no problem a few weeks later he has a problem. Now an official from AIB has claimed that Bertie Ahern’s account of transactions do not add up. And that also Bertie had contacted said official to check his story. Yesterday it was revealed that an analysis of finances prepared for the Mahon tribunal last year failed to mention the involvement of a number of sterling cash transactions. For more on background click on Bertiegate in the Read More list above.
Update: An AIB foreign exchange official has has told the Mahon Tribunal that money lodged on behalf of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in the O’Connell St branch was probably $45,000. This is significant as it would seem to make it a different payment then the others
For anyone paying attention it’s been a treasure trove of evidence. Bertie apparently knew two years ago that forex deposits were going to be an issue — more than either AIB or the tribunal seemed to know. And now today the considered opinion of one AIB official that the mystery deposit was $45,000. There are events that now look very strange — Bertie went from an apparently good personal memory of what had been going on in those accounts to scrambling to explain the dig-outs in the tear-jerker last year and then the complaints about leaks in the run-up to the election. But the tribunal won’t get anywhere unless they come up with a likely source for the claimed $45,000.
Whilst the advice given to the Watergate reporters was to follow the money my instinct in the world of spin and the “engineering of consent” a la Edward Bernays is to try and work out what role if any has ex stage hypnotist Paul Goldin had in this …gate and any other …gate or leading people up paths they would not ordinarily follow. He (Goldin) also had close neighbourly ties with Charles Haughey. Maybe we owe adebt of gratitude to this perspective for any peace benefit or at least mellow background music?
I would seem to be alone in this perspective from Southern England, my only connnection with Eire being a small genetic one four generations ago and a keen liking for the film “Hear My Song”. I am no Woods or Bernstein but politics since WW2 has moved into other domains than that of “following the money”. It is now, would you believe, all about the domain of the mind. To my mind anyway. Where money is scarce or hard to find/remember perhaps we could ask Mr Goldin to exonerate Mr Ahern, or influence his correspondents, or us, in a public hypnotic event designed to restore our trust and consent.
PS I have just written up a case where Paul Goldin’s stepson, Steven Hamilton has been sentenced for “communications of concern” at my blog entry “This is England”. see: http://web.mac.com/beachhutman/iWeb/Site/Blog/9185318C-9D0F-4156-955A-4F05DC6FE2C0.html
Sorry this has to be so weak on facts and therefore speculative…it is a tricky subject, but I’d like to convince myself if not others there is something to it. As you can imagine I am in favour of free speech and wide margins being allowed for error.