Taoiseach launches High Court challenge

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern has taken a High Court challenge to the “manifestly unconstitutional” handling by the Mahon Tribunal to date of inquiries into certain banking transactions conducted through Mr Ahern’s account in 1993 and 1994.

Mr Ahern has also secured a stay on a tribunal order requiring him to produce by 4.30pm yesterday documents concerning advice to his lawyers from a banking expert retained on his behalf, Paddy Stronge, a financial consultant and former chief operating officer for Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking.

Among several complaints, Mr Ahern is disputing the tribunal’s entitlement to cross-examine him about statements made by him in the Dáil about his financial affairs.