No documents to back up Ahern accounts, tribunal hears

There is no documentary evidence explaining the source of some transactions from a bank account set up for former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's constituency office, the Mahon Tribunal heard today.

At the tribunal, Mr Ahern said he gave accountants examining the account - known as a building trust (B/T) account - details on a notebook provided by his staff.

The former Taoiseach claimed the account was set up in 1989 for the upkeep of his St Luke's office.

However, inquiry counsel Des O'Neill said there were no actual documents provided by Mr Ahern revealing the source of account expenditures, other than a copy of a €30,000 cheque.

A report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), employed by Mr Ahern to provide details on the B/T account, was given to the tribunal earlier this year.

"The source of the information contained in this report was a note prepared by Mr Ahern and furnished to accountants rather than documentation backing up transactions," Mr O'Neill said.

Mr Ahern said that earlier this year his constituency officers looked over the B/T account and gave him details of seven or eight transactions made to it in 1989 that was meant for an election account.

He then provided these details to accountants from PwC at a meeting in January this year.

"Well, as I recall it, there were 15 lodgements," Mr Ahern said.

"Eight were from the 1989 election account and I was able to give them (the accountants) chapter and verse on who made those lodgements in 1989.

"The first eight lodgements were hard, factual information."

Mr Ahern said money from the account was also used to mark the opening of the northside Dublin constituency office, including a get-together for residents, staff and a Mass.

Hitting back at claims from Mr O'Neill that there was no documentary evidence provided to PwC, Mr Ahern said his staff also gave some invoices on expenses, including sandwiches bought for a function.

"To my horror.. if they had that about sandwiches, God knows what they have about me," he said.

He added he had never used the money in the account for himself and the account was there for constituency business.

It is Mr Ahern's 11th appearance before the tribunal since September and the third in a row this week.

Yesterday he said he took thousands of Irish punts with him on trips to the UK where he had it changed in a bar, hotel or car by a Manchester businessman.

He also denied ever having a foreign bank account.

The inquiry is investigating Mr Ahern's finances in the 1990s.