Ahern 'surprised' to get briefcase full of cash

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today recalled his surprise when a Manchester businessman handed him a briefcase stuffed with stg£30,000 in cash during a visit to Dublin.

Micheal Wall gave Mr Ahern the money in his constituency office in December 1994 to help towards improvement work on a house that he intended buying which Mr Ahern was going to rent.

The ex Fianna Fáil leader told the Mahon Tribunal that while a contribution from Mr Wall, a close friend, was not unexpected, the amount was.

Later Mr Ahern rejected claims by tribunal barrister Henry Murphy SC that Mr Wall bought the house in the summer of 1995 with Mr Ahern's money.

"Yes, I wasn't surprised that he was making a contribution but I think I would have been surprised at the size of it," he said.

The tribunal heard the money was given by Mr Wall to Mr Ahern in front of his then partner Celia Larkin and placed in the office safe.

Ms Larkin lodged it in a bank account the following day.

Mr Wall bought the house in Beresford Avenue, Drumcondra, Dublin in 1995 for £138,000 and Mr Ahern agreed to rent it.

Both men provided money for improvement works on the property with Mr Ahern investing almost £34,000 out of £50,000 he set aside for furnishings and fittings.

He said he believed the money from Mr Wall was a gesture of goodwill and that he wanted to put some up himself.

In 1997 Mr Ahern bought the house for £180,000 just after he was appointed Taoiseach.

The tribunal also raised the issue of a supplement Mr Wall made to his will in June 1996 leaving the house to Mr Ahern in the event of his death.

The ex-Taoiseach said he did not know why Mr Wall did that adding he would not have taken it anyway.

"I would have bought it off his wife," Mr Ahern said, claiming he would not have been able in good conscience to do it.

Questioning was then interrupted briefly after a man laughed loudly.

Tribunal chairman Mr Justice Alan Mahon asked that he be removed by the gardaí. The man shouted abuse at Mr Ahern as he was escorted out.

Mr Murphy later asked if it was possible that Mr Wall had bought the house in 1995 with Mr Ahern's money and this was why he drafted the will.

"If I owned Beresford, he (Wall) would want to protect it. But that didn't happen, he bought Beresford," Mr Ahern said.

"I don't think you asked that to Mr Wall. The point is that didn't happen."

Today was Mr Ahern's 12th appearance before the inquiry since September.

It is probing his personal finances in the 1990s.