‘B/T stood for Bertie and Tim’

A FORMER building society official has told the Mahon Tribunal that its Drumcondra staff always believed a controversial “B/T” account under investigation by the inquiry was linked to former taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

Elizabeth Smyth, who worked at the Irish Permanent branch in Drumcondra during the 1990s, said it was common knowledge among the staff that the B/T account stood for “Bertie and Tim”.

Tim Collins, Bertie Ahern’s associate who opened the account in 1989, told the tribunal the letters stood for “building trust”, although he admitted that another account opened by himself and Fianna Fáil fundraiser, Des Richardson named the “D/T” account referred to their initials.