THE TOTAL value of lodgements and other transactions that have to date been queried by the Mahon tribunal in its public inquiries into the finances of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, exceeds £452,800, an analysis by The Irish Timesshows. Colm Keena, Public Affairs Correspondent, reports.
The lodgements and transactions occurred between 1988 and 1997, although the vast bulk of the money was lodged in the period to 1995.
The total is the equivalent of €886,830 in today's terms, applying the consumer price index for the period 1994 to 2008.
The total excludes lodgements where the tribunal has been shown the money was transferred from one bank account to another, but includes such lodgements where neither Mr Ahern nor the tribunal have been able to find independent confirmation as to what occurred.
Lodgements to accounts in AIB O'Connell Street, Dublin, of more than £163,817 were made in the period 1993 to 1995. Mr Ahern has said the lodgements came from two "dig-outs", a donation in Manchester, and cash savings, as well as the withdrawal and subsequent re-lodgement, of £50,000.
The Irish Times analysis also includes lodgements to accounts mentioned in recent tribunal sittings where it examined matters to do with Mr Ahern's constituency. These, along with Mr Ahern's account with Irish Permanent Building Society, amount to a further £289,000.
These accounts include the "B/T" account from which Mr Ahern's then partner, Celia Larkin, received £30,000 towards the purchase of a house in 1993.
That account still exists and has a current balance in excess of €47,000.
The analysis includes most of the £38,000 that was lodged to Mr Ahern's Irish Permanent account in Drumcondra, in the period 1994 to 1997. Mr Ahern has told the tribunal the bulk of the money lodged to this account came from his salary, but his then constituency secretary, Ms Gráinne Carruth, has since accepted that she lodged sterling to the account having been given the money by Mr Ahern to lodge.
Ms Carruth said she could not recall lodging sterling for Mr Ahern, but said she had to accept she did so based on the bank's archived records. The records show £11,500 sterling being lodged to Mr Ahern's account, and a further £4,000 sterling being lodged to accounts of his two daughters.
The then branch manager, Blair Hughes, has said the records show the sterling being lodged by Ms Carruth. He has also said it was his understanding at the time that Ms Carruth was lodging sterling to "the Ahern accounts".
Mr Hughes also told the tribunal that it was his understanding at the time that the initials on the "B/T" account stood for "Bertie and Tim", Tim being a reference to the sole signatory on the account, Mr Ahern's long time associate Tim Collins.
Mr Ahern and Mr Collins have said the initials stood for "building trust", an entity associated with Mr Ahern's constituency office building, St Luke's. Mr Collins has said "surplus" political donations were lodged to the B/T account, and the money was left there for "a rainy day".
At least £91,000 was lodged to the B/T account in the period to 1995.
Mr Ahern has yet to disclose his response to the evidence of Ms Carruth and Mr Hughes.
If Mr Ahern accepts that sterling was lodged to his Irish Permanent account, and it was not sterling bought with his declared income, then he will face further inquiries from the Revenue Commissioners.
Mr Ahern has already told the Revenue that two £5,000 cheques used to make lodgements to the account were political donations.
Tribunal inquiries have not as yet shown where £56,000 used to purchase St Luke's in May 1988 was lodged prior to its purchase. Mr Collins is one of the persons in whose name the building was purchased.