FG says Ahern's position weakened

FG reaction: The latest developments at the Mahon tribunal "continue to undermine" explanations given by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern…

FG reaction:The latest developments at the Mahon tribunal "continue to undermine" explanations given by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern about his personal finances, Fine Gael said last night.

"His time in the witness box in September will be very interesting indeed. There is a very slim chance that the lodgment was not made in dollars," said a party spokesman last night.

Mr Ahern's lawyers argued that the use of some mathematical formulae would convert the sum Mr Ahern said was lodged in sterling into his account into Irish pounds.

"However, none of this changes the fact that AIB's O'Connell Street branch only took in about £1,900 in sterling on the day in question," the FG spokesman told The Irish Times last night.

Mark Hennessy

Mark Hennessy

Mark Hennessy is Ireland and Britain Editor with The Irish Times