Ahern stonewalls as pressure mounts over £30,000 payment

EMBATTLED Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was under mounting pressure last night to explain the payments controversy threatening to derail his re-election bid.

As the fallout from Mahon Tribunal revelations again dominated the campaign, Mr Ahern refused to shed light on how £30,000 given to his former partner Celia Larkin by millionaire businessman Michael Wall was a “stamp duty issue” as he has claimed.

Despite Tánaiste Michael McDowell admitting he was “confused” by the Taoiseach’s tangled financial affairs, Mr Ahern stonewalled questions seeking clarification on how the money given to Ms Larkin by his then-landlord could be related to stamp duty on a rented house.