THE Bord na Mona chief executive, Dr Eddie O'Connor claimed more than £66,000 in unreceipted expenses over the past nine years, the second Price Waterhouse report shows.
Dr O'Connor was normally paid the money by cheques drawn in favour of a bank and cashed at the bank, and the cash in turn was paid to Dr O'Connor. The report says the expenses were not supported by receipts or vouchers.
It is understood that it is the unreceipted expenses that have caused most concern to the investigating accountants, who wanted Dr O'Connor to further explain them. Dr O'Connor had refused to meet investigating accountants until late on Tuesday night, maintaining that they had gone beyond their brief.
The report shows that in 1989-1990 Dr O'Connor claimed £2,414 in unreceipted expenses, but this figure doubled in the following year.
The highest amount of unvouched expenses he incurred was in 1993-1994 when he claimed £15,750. In 1994-1995 he claimed £15,000. Settlements were made with the Revenue Commissioners for both those years, when £15,300 was paid, following a Revenue audit.
It also reveals that Dr O'Connor claimed approximately £53,000 in personal expenses over the nine year period. Of this, almost £11,000 and £12,300 was claimed in 1990-1991 and 1991-1992 respectively.
The accountants say the analysis of these expenses as being personal was "performed" by Dr O'Connor, who they refer to as managing director, although he is the chief executive of Bord na Mona.
Dr O'Connor also claimed almost £84,000 for flights over the period. In 1989-1990 he claimed 19 for flights. Each year he claimed cash/expense advances for flights, either directly from Bord na Mona or through credit cards.
The money was used to defray his travel expenses, but no supporting "vouchers or documentation appear to be available", the accountants say. The amounts he claimed in cash/expenses for these flights varied each year, ranging from £45 one year to £3,900.
Dr O'Connor's accommodation/hotel expenses amount to £53,500 over the nine year period. The highest amount he claimed in one year, £9,156, was in 1994-1995.
He claimed £48,469 over the nine years, under the heading "meals and restaurants". The largest amount he claimed in any one year, £10,287, was in 1990-1991, according to the report.
The report also shows that in 1993-1994 Dr O'Connor claimed £6,415 for wine. The total figure under this heading amounted to £23,381.
Another heading lists "Other expenses", but does not specify what they are. These vary from £671 in 1987-1988 to £7,657 in 1994-1995.
Dr O'Connor also received a home loan interest subsidy ranging from £3,250 to £1,221 from 1988.
The subsidy cost reflects the difference between the average cost of funds of Bord na Mona and the 5 per cent paid by Dr O'Connor on the loan, according to the report. It says the principal amount of the home at inception had been £50,000 which had been reduced by repayments to £39,908 at March 1996.
The cost of providing a company car for the chief executive came to £142,800 over the nine years. The costs from 1993 represents the monthly lease payments plus car tax and estimated attributable insurance, running costs and extras or refurbishment. The accountants said they estimated the costs for earlier years.
In a note to this section, the accountants say these costs represent those attributable directly to Dr O'Connor and for the most part claimed by him and charged to his cost centre.
"They do not include costs allocated to his cost centre which were of a less personally specific nature such as senior management meeting expenses, the cost of his personal secretary, driver or office facilities etc," it says.
The report reveals that Dr O'Connor's salary has risen from £28,900 in 1987 to a current rate of £84,773. The figure includes bonus and director's fees.
Dr O'Connor's salary is basically in line with the Gleeson guidelines on pay packages for semi state executives. These lay down basic pay scales ranging from £40,000 for the head of smaller companies to around £83,000 for big companies.
In a preface to the report in a letter to Mr Dineen, the accountants say that while Dr O'Connor does not object to those expenses which he himself deemed "personal" being included, he argues that the business related expenses (i.e. those which he has confirmed as having been of no value to him personally) should not be.
"Dr O'Connor makes similar points in relation to inclusion of figures for employer's PRSI paid by Bord na Mona in respect of his employment and also objects to the inclusion of figures for the cost to BMN of his company car Dr O'Connor maintains that only the taxable benefit in kind value should be included," it says.
However, the accountants say they disagree with Dr O'Connor and believe that the report as it stands "accords with the board's current instructions".