£5,000 was a ‘political donation’

A FORMER director of NCB Stockbrokers told the Mahon Tribunal yesterday he believed a £5,000 company payment made to Bertie Ahern 14 years ago was a political donation.

The evidence of Chris McHugh, former NCB finance director, supports that given to the tribunal earlier this week by his former boss at the stockbroking firm, Padraic O’Connor.

Both men say the Taoiseach has given a conflicting account of the payment — the so-called “dig out” of £22,500 he maintains “close friends” gave him to pay a legal bill associated with his marital separation.