Mahon Tribunal upholds right to probe Ahern personal finances

THE Mahon Tribunal yesterday upheld its right to probe the Taoiseach’s personal finances. The inquiry told Mr Ahern to arrive on schedule as a witness next week.

Tribunal chairman Judge Alan Mahon ruled against a bid by Mr Ahern’s lawyers to have his affairs declared beyond his jurisdiction.

The move paved the way for hearings to go ahead as planned today, opening with the resumed cross-examination of star witness and chief Ahern-accuser Tom Gilmartin.

Other witnesses over the next few days will include bank officials, to be quizzed about accounts held by the Taoiseach and his former partner Celia Larkin.

Ms Larkin is due on Wednesday of next week, the same day as Micheal Wall, the Manchester-based businessman and one-time owner of the current north Dublin Ahern home, and Mr Ahern himself has been listed to be in the tribunal witness box on July 26 and 27.

Counsel for the Taoiseach Conor Maguire submitted last week that Mr Ahern should not appear before British-based property developer Mr Gilmartin had finished presenting his evidence.

Mr Maguire also maintained that following a Supreme Court decision earlier this week relating to a separate Mahon probe, the tribunal was not able to look into Mr Ahern’s financial affairs.

Judge Mahon turned down the submission on both counts in a 20-minute-long statement.

Mr Maguire and the rest of the Ahern legal team made no comment afterwards, and refused to indicate whether they might consider a High Court action.

That development could further delay the timetable of the tribunal, which is due to take a six-week break from the start of next month.

In a partial concession to Mr Ahern, the judge said that Mr Gilmartin’s lawyers would not be permitted to cross-examine the Taoiseach until a later date.

Mr Gilmartin, 72, whose evidence is being taken on a mornings-only basis because of concerns over his health, has made a number of accusations relating to Mr Ahern — including a claim that he received a total of £80,000 in separate payments — and has also levelled allegations against other top-rank Fianna Fáil figures, including Albert Reynolds, Micheál Martin, Ray MacSharry and Pádraig Flynn.

Judge Mahon said suggestions by the Taoiseach’s lawyers that the tribunal was engaged in a disproportionate and “extraordinary trawl through the personal and private affairs” of Mr Ahern were rejected.

He insisted “the inquiries which touch on Mr Ahern’s private and personal affairs do so only to the extent necessary to inquire into their sources of substantial cash lodgements made to Mr Ahern’s bank accounts, and the accounts of Ms Larkin, being operated for his benefit, and to establish the purpose for which such payments were made”.