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.