Files on five accounts linked to St Luke’s destroyed

IMPORTANT documents relating to five bank accounts linked to Bertie Ahern’s constituency organisation were destroyed sometime after 2001, it emerged during yesterday’s hearing of the Mahon Tribunal.

Fianna Fáil constituency treasurer for Dublin Central, Dominic Dillane, said he understood background documentation linked to the accounts was destroyed on the basis of “recommended accountancy guidelines”, from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

However, Ronan Murphy, a senior partner in PwC, who assisted Mr Ahern in 2001 to bring his account records up to date, said he had no recollection of a discussion about advice on document retention or destruction.

Mr Murphy agreed with tribunal barrister Des O’Neill SC that Mr Ahern had no document destruction policy prior to 2001.

PwC accountant Denis O’Connor said he had informed the Taoiseach’s office following an information request that PwC’s policy was not to keep information for more than six or seven years.

The tribunal also heard that Mr Dillane could not explain the source of the money [IR£56,000] used to buy Mr Ahern’s constituency office, St Luke’s, in January 1988.

Mr Dillane, treasurer since 2001, said he was also unable to explain the source of almost £23,000 used to open another account for the constituency’s O’Donovan Rossa cumann.

He admitted that he had sworn an affidavit on behalf of the trustees of the “No 1” account which was linked to the purchase of St Luke’s, even though he had not spoken to any of the trustees — Des Richardson, Joe Burke or Liam Collins — about the preparation of the statement.

However, Mr Dillane said he had discussed documentation being sought by the tribunal with Mr Ahern on a reasonably regular basis over the last few months.

He also had to concede that he neglected to inform the tribunal in two of his earlier affidavits that details of five separate bank accounts relating to the constituency organisation had been destroyed.