12.21.06

Ahern

Posted in Domestic/Relationships at 3:43 pm by Sarah

I’m only getting round to reading some of the detail.

How DOES Bertie get away with the bare-faced lies he told the Dail? From the IT today

“The tribunal found that Mr Ahern was the main if not the exclusive counter-signatory on the account during the late Haughey period. He told the tribunal that, because of his busy schedule, he sometimes “for administrative convenience” signed blank cheques so they could be used when needed. The tribunal was told he on occasion signed large numbers of cheques, and was once witnessed signing a full book of blank cheques.

The account was administered by an employee of Fianna Fáil, Eileen Foy. When the question of the possible misuse of the account was first raised in the Dáil in 1997, Mr Ahern said it had not been misused.

“I am satisfied, having spoken to the person who administered the account, that it was used for bona fide party purposes, that the cheques were prepared by that person and counter-signed by another senior party member.

“There was no surplus and no misappropriation,” he said. “The account as far as her excellent recollection goes was normally short, not the other way around. I have spoken to her at some length.”

Mr Ahern did not tell the Dáil that the “senior party member” he was referring to was in fact himself. Also Ms Foy, who was well known to Mr Ahern, had great difficulty recalling important facts to do with the account when she was later called before the tribunal.

When Ms Foy was asked about the conversation she’d had with Mr Ahern prior to his statement to the Dáil, and whether she’d said anything to him which might have caused him to refer to her excellent recollection, she said she couldn’t remember.”

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