Haughey to face tribunal again despite ill health
The 76-year-old former Taoiseach will be asked whether he made any political decisions which favoured construction firm Cement Roadstone Holdings while he was in government.
Justice Moriarty made the surprise decision to extend the scope of the tribunal’s probe yesterday and said he was aware that Mr Haughey’s age and state of health were an issue.
It is likely a private hearing will be arranged with the former Taoiseach, who has been suffering from prostrate cancer since 1995. Justice Moriarty said three years ago that his previous ownership of shares worth £500,000 in CRH meant he could not probe into the affairs of the company.
But yesterday the chairman said a number of factors including legal advice from the attorney general led him to believe that his share ownership should not automatically bar him from investigating issues related to the firm.
The company has been closely linked to Mr Haughey because his accountant, Des Traynor, was a member of the board when a number of controversial incidents took place. These include:
Purchase of 17.5 acres of Mr Haughey’s Kinsealy estate for £140,000 in 1973.
The Government’s sale of lands to CRH in 1991 without tender when Mr Haughey was Taoiseach.
Deposits by directors of CRH in the Ansbacher accounts, operated by Mr Traynor. Mr Haughey also held an account in the scheme.
Meanwhile, at yesterday’s tribunal hearing former Fine Gael minister Michael Lowry said he did not know of any attempt to cover-up his role in a property deal linked to business tycoon Denis O’Brien. Tribunal lawyers believe they have uncovered a plot to obscure Mr Lowry’s involvement in the deal through a set of false letters.
But Mr Lowry yesterday said he had no knowledge of the documents and suggested that the solicitor who wrote them was confused.
“He made a mistake, he was confused, ” Mr Lowry told the tribunal. He agreed with the tribunal that the solicitor’s explanation for the inclusion of his name in a second set of letters was unsatisfactory.
Tribunal lawyer Mr Jerry Healy SC said any attempt to forge the letters would be a “horrific act” and Mr Lowry, on recommendation of the tribunal, agreed yesterday to ask the Law Society to investigate the conduct of his former solicitor.
The British-based solicitor, Christopher Vaughan, has refused to come before the tribunal. He did, however, meet with tribunal lawyers and said he was appalled at the way he was treated and was not content to have his professional reputation questioned.
