Accounts opened after marriage settled

Bank records:Taoiseach Bertie Ahern rejoined the banking system as soon as his marital separation was settled in late 1993, he told the tribunal yesterday.

The tribunal heard that Mr Ahern began doing business with Allied Irish Bank on O'Connell Street in December 1993 and opened an Irish Permanent Building Society account in January 1994.

He chose AIB's O'Connell Street branch, he said, because Celia Larkin, then his partner, had an account there, as did his security people.

Counsel for the tribunal Des O'Neill SC asked him why he did not open an account in his local Drumcondra branch, since it was more convenient.

Mr Ahern said it was probably because he knew a bank official in O'Connell Street, Philip Murphy, through sporting connections.

The tribunal heard that until the separation was finalised, Mr Ahern had asked members of his staff to go to the bank and cash his cheques for him.

Mr O'Neill asked why he did not continue dealing in cash.

"Because my separation was concluded," Mr Ahern said.

"From the beginning of 1994 . . . I started fairly fully using the banking system."

However, he did not immediately lodge all of the £50,000 savings he had accumulated over the seven years he did not operate any bank accounts.

Mr O'Neill asked him why he did not lodge the money as soon as he opened the accounts and why he waited until April 1994 to lodge £30,000 of his savings.

Mr Ahern said there was no particular reason. "It was safely in the safe," he said.

The tribunal was told that Mr Ahern applied for a loan of more than £19,000 to cover his legal expenses when he visited the bank for the first time. He also signed a declaration form to open a special savings account. He said he did not remember signing it, but believed he did so on the same day that he took out the loan, December 23rd.

The date on the savings declaration form was queried, the tribunal was told. It had appeared to be overwritten and counsel for the tribunal said it had been sent to an expert in England to have it forensically analysed.

Mr O'Neill said the analysis revealed there was "strong evidence" that the date on the form was originally December 14th.

"Is it possible it was signed by you on the 14th of December?" Mr O'Neill asked.

Mr Ahern said it was not possible, and he produced his ministerial diary to demonstrate that he had been very busy that day.

"I wasn't in the bank that day . . . Bertie Ahern didn't sign it on that day," Mr Ahern said.