‘Bertiegate’ lender’s firm wound up amid €1m debt

ONE of the businessmen who gave Bertie Ahern €50,000 while he was Finance Minister saw his company wound up yesterday with debts of nearly €1 million.

The High Court appointed a liquidator to deal with Joe Burke’s building firm, which employed 16 people.

Mr Burke came to public attention during the ‘Bertiegate’ affair last autumn when the Taoiseach was forced to reveal the former Fianna Fáil councillor was among 12 “close friends” who loaned him the equivalent of €50,000 to help pay for costs arising from his marriage break-up.