Richardson connects the dots

If the Planning Tribunal was being run like an episode of Law and Order, we’d have had a scene already where the tribunal lawyers ask for Des Richardson to be declared a hostile witness.  Nonetheless, the paper trail that does exist plus admissions that have been extracted from Richardson are highly revealing — especially in showing that the Manchester and St Luke’s digouts were not Chinese-walled from the rest of the FF fundraising and provide crucial clues to still mysterious aspects of Bertie’s finances.

This RTE story provides the  basic facts, but it can be filled in with the following observations.  First, we now know that Manchester in general (if not the infamous dinner) was a channel for dollar donations.  Second, we see the seamless garment from Old Trafford matches to the tent at the Galway Races (note how fundraising during visits to the former was paying the costs of the latter).  Third, we see NCB’s Padraic O’Connor making a disguised donation to Bertie via a bogus invoice — the same Padraic O’Connor was an adviser to Bertie on exchange rate issues when he was Minister for Finance.   And finally we see yet more of Richardson’s own chaotic finances, as he juggled his responsibilities to the FF organization, Bertie Ahern, and his own business activities with a maze of bank accounts and special-purpose corporate entities.