THE MAHON Tribunal faces a substantial legal costs bill arising from the Fitzwilton Group’s successful challenge against the tribunal’s decision to hold a public hearing into a IR£30,000 political contribution by Fitzwilton to Fianna Fáil.

THE Mahon Tribunal has no jurisdiction to hold a public hearing on £30,000 made by the Fitzwilton Group as a political contribution to Fianna Fáil, the Supreme Court ruled yesterday.

THE Fitzwilton group yesterday lost a High Court bid aimed at restraining the Mahon Tribunal from holding a public hearing into the payment in 1989 by one of its companies of £30,000 (€38,092) to former minister Ray Burke.

FITZWILTON, the holding company owned by Tony O’Reilly and his brother-in-law Peter Goulandris, tripled its losses last year after taking a €28 million hit on the sale of its stake in Safeway’s Irish stores.