So the Mahon Tribunal has been published (fast download copy here). It’s a short form account of a lot of news that’s already been in the public domain (it has a 70 page summary)…
In effect it states pretty clearly that they do not believe Bertie Ahern’s several stories about inconsistency in his account for monies spent.
This blog will be updated throughout the day…
From RTE:
It says Mr Ahern failed to truthfully account for a total of IR£165,214.25 passing through accounts connected with him.
It also finds that in relation to the B/T account, known as the Bertie/Tim account by bank staff in the Permanent TSB, Mr Ahern and his associate Mr Tim Collins failed to truthfully account for IR£50,000 lodged into this account between 1992-94.
You can get some of the detail from the Journal.ie live blog here…
The Tribunal was “not provided with a truthful account as to the source of the said lodgement of IR£22,500 to Mr Ahern’s bank account on 30 December 1993”. The Tribunal was unable to determine original source of his money.
The tribunal REJECTS Ahern’s evidence that he accumulated approx IRL£54,000 in cash savings between 1987-1993.
On RTE Leader’s Questions: “I would not put any weight on the fact that the report does not find Mr Ahern corrupt…” – Sen Thomas Byrne. And he adds, “It’s very difficult to see how” [Bertie Ahern can remain in the Fianna Fail Party].
“I’d love to print the #Mahon tribunal report, but I don’t have enough ink”. Comment from the backbencher as Sinn Fein get up to speak.
— Alan Farrell TD (@AlanFarrell) March 22, 2012
– Some push back on the waterfall of evidence (some of it coming with highly conditional caveats), personal friend of Ahern’s says that because something is bizarre, does not mean it is wrong…
– On RTE: Stephen O’Brien (Sunday Times) says that ministerial criticism is echoed by Justice Hardiman of the Supreme Court, in that accusations are raised in 1997 that cannot be dealt with until 2012…
– Sam Smith: What’s the difference between saying you don’t believe a word someone says to you and perjury? I don’t know, but it may be something to do with intent.”
– From RTE Live Blog: A lodgement of IR£28,772.90 made by Ms Celia Larkin on 5 December 5 1994 into an AIB account on Upper O’Connell Street was not – as contended by Bertie Ahern – around Stg£30,000 in cash, given by Micheal Wall, but was in fact $45,000 dollars in cash.
– Colm Keena has a good round up of some of the pro and anti Bertie evidence…
– Johnny Fallon hints that Fianna Fail’s hands may be tied when it comes to dispatching Bertie… Ask him to resign rather than expel him…
– P Flynn back in 1999: “I never asked for or took money for favours from anyone in my life…”
– Gavan Reilly has a good piece on the position of the late Liam Lawlor… 
– Ahern: conclusions are “based on procedures which were biased, unfair and unjust.”
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
Discover more from Slugger O'Toole
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
