Foster’s mum allegedly tapped in Dublin home

THE Dublin-based mother of the convicted conman at the centre of the Cherie Blair affair in Britain may have had her phone tapped, it has emerged, after transcripts of tapes were published in a London newspaper.

Louise Pelloti, the mother of Peter Foster who lives in Malahide in north Dublin, appears in the transcripts involved in a series of telephone conversations with both the conman and her other son, Paul.

Transcripts of the tapes were published in The Sun newspaper, although not a line appeared in its Irish edition.

Media watchers in London are speculating that the tapes were recorded in Ireland and that Mrs Pelloti’s phone may have been tapped.

Garda HQ said last night it is illegal for any person or group, other than a State agency with proper authorisation, to tap a phone. If there was proof it did happen, the matter would be investigated.

The affair centres on Mrs Blair’s use of Mr Foster to buy two apartments. It emerged that the Australian native, whose partner Carole Caplin was Mrs Blair’s friend and fitness guru, had convictions for fraud and is facing deportation from Britain.

The relationship between Mrs Blair and Mr Foster was initially denied by British government spin doctors, thereby fuelling interest in the affair.

The Sun newspaper published transcripts of the tapes across six pages of its British edition. Included was a conversation with Mrs Pelloti where it appears Mr Foster is hoping to make stg£100,000 by selling his story.

In one of the transcripts Peter Foster was quoted as saying: “I should try and get some money out of this shouldn’t I?

“I’m wanting to get paid. I’m going to hold out for money for another 24 hours. I’m just going to get back strong and say that.

“I’ve lost. I’ve got lawyers’ fees. I’ve got PR nightmares. I’m an absolute f****** pariah. I’ve suffered losses and I’ve suffered damages.

“I may as well get something out of this. I’m f*****, my reputation is f*****.”

Executives at the paper refused to reveal how the tapes were acquired s only to say they came from an “amusing” source. The speculation is that they originated in Ireland, either that Mrs Pelloti’s phone was bugged or the unlikely scenario that she taped the conversations herself.

The British government denied any involvement in either acquiring the tapes or leaking them.