Richardson ‘broke FF rules’ in $10k donation

FIANNA Fáil TD Seán Fleming told the Mahon Tribunal that former chief fundraiser Des Richardson was in breach of the party’s procedures by failing to lodge a $10,000 donation to a Fianna Fáil bank account.

The tribunal also heard of a clash of evidence between Mr Fleming and Mr Richardson about awareness within the party of the donation, made by Manchester businessman Norman Turner in May 1994.

Mr Fleming, who was the party’s financial controller between 1982 and 1997, told the tribunal that he was “absolutely satisfied” he was not aware of the payment before November 2007.

This contradicts the evidence of Mr Richardson, who insisted that he informed Mr Fleming of the contribution in 1994.

“It didn’t happen. He didn’t inform me verbally or in writing,” the Laois TD said.

The Fianna Fáil fundraiser was given the $10,000 cash donation by Mr Turner, who was behind a controversial plan to open a casino in the Phoenix Park during the early 1990s.

He made the donation on the basis that it was anonymous. It emerged earlier this year that former taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, assisted Mr Turner in obtaining an Irish passport in 1994.

Mr Fleming said it was “clear-cut” that the money should have been lodged by Mr Richardson when it was received. The anonymous nature of the donation was irrelevant in relation to his obligation to lodge the money to a FF account.

“As far as I was concerned all proceeds and funds received through Mr Richardson for Fianna Fáil fundraising would be lodged to a bank account maintained by the party at Bank of Ireland in Baggot Street,” he said.

Mr Fleming explained there was a strong tradition of confidentiality within Fianna Fáil so that the names of donors “were not normally sent up the line to senior politicians”.

He claimed Mr Richardson would inform the party of the amount of donations but not necessarily the identity of all contributors.

Mr Fleming said there was no official record of such a donation in the accounts. However, a handwritten note by Mr Richardson relating to Mr Turner’s donation was in a file he passed to Fianna Fáil when he closed his offices in 1999.

Mr Richardson claims he converted the $10,000 into IR£6,780 to pay some fundraising expenses.

Mr Fleming also admitted Owen O’Callaghan made a payment of £80,000 to Fianna Fáil in June 1994. He was raising the issue in case there was confusion.

“It wasn’t to Mr Ahern but it would have been lodged to an account in the name of [Albert] Reynolds and Ahern,” he said.