Banker cannot explain answer on Larkin money

A senior official with AIB was unable to explain an answer he gave to the tribunal during a private interview last year concerning the finances of Celia Larkin.

Jim McNamara, a senior banker with AIB O'Connell Street, Dublin, told the tribunal in June 2006 that he could not recall any substantial cash transactions involving Ms Larkin in the 1990s. At the time she was the partner of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern.

Yesterday Des O'Neill SC, for the tribunal, read out a draft letter prepared by Mr NcNamara in May 2006, just one month prior to his private interview with the tribunal. In that letter, prepared by him for Ms Larkin, Mr McNamara detailed 18 transactions including a number of substantial cash withdrawals and lodgments, the total amount of such cash transactions being £122,856. The period concerned was December 1994 to July 1995.

Solicitor Hugh Millar, for Ms Larkin, said many of the cash withdrawals were used to purchase bank drafts.

Mr McNamara agreed the draft letter meant he had been aware of substantial cash transactions being put through Ms Larkin's accounts. When asked by Mr O'Neill how he could have given an answer one month later "saying you had no recollection of there being any such substantial cash lodgments and withdrawals?", Mr McNamara replied: "I can't say."

Mr McNamara said Ms Larkin contacted the bank seeking information concerning transactions on her accounts some time before January 21st, 2005. Mr O'Neill said it was not until May 2006 that the tribunal first made contact with Ms Larkin.

At about the same time as Ms Larkin contacted the bank, the tribunal had first contacted Mr Ahern, and Mr Ahern had contacted the bank. Mr McNamara said he believed Ms Larkin contacted the bank because "if Mr Ahern was under a tribunal inquiry, that she in turn was going to be connected with it".

A bank document shown by the tribunal indicated that Ms Larkin was, by February 2005, seeking information about specific transactions in 1994 and 1995 which have since become the focus of tribunal inquiries.

In relation to one of these, a cash lodgment of £28,772.90, the tribunal has since been told by Ms Larkin and Mr Ahern that it arose from the lodgment of large amounts of sterling cash.

Mr McNamara said he would have discussed with Ms Larkin the information and documentation he was able to retrieve in relation to her accounts. He said Ms Larkin never told him that the £28,772.90 lodgment was a foreign currency transaction, and not an Irish cash lodgment as Mr McNamara had concluded in a report for Ms Larkin.

Mr McNamara said he had given Ms Larkin the draft letter he had written outlining transactions across her accounts. He said he did not recall ever giving a draft letter to any other of his customers. Mr O'Neill asked if Ms Larkin was given a draft rather than a final letter "to see whether or not the contents of the letter met with the approval of Ms Larkin or those who might consider the document?"

Mr McNamara said Ms Larkin was not given a draft so she could amend it if she wanted. "Ms Larkin was there with me. She said she would take the draft copy." Ms Larkin "did not want a finished, original version" and he did not know why that was.

The draft letter, dated May 2006, began: "Dear Ms Larkin, I refer to our recent telephone conversations in relation to your query regarding certain transactions on your above mentioned accounts." A note at the top of the draft letter in Mr McNamara's handwriting read: "This draft copy also requested by, given to client."