05.13.07
It was all the judicial separatation
Yes Bertie, everyone can understand that. Anyone who is separated could have found themselves accepting briefcases full of cash in their office which they stash in their girlfriend’s account. You know, I keep waiting for him to use the Fr. Ted line “that money was just RESTING in my account”.
It DOESN’T MATTER WHAT THE MONEY WAS FOR. If he was handing it out to the hungry it doesn’t matter!!!!! He took cash and didn’t declare it and HE WAS THE MINISTER FOR FINANCE………
I’d love to meet Aengus Fanning sometime, but they’ll have to get excavators to rescue him from Bertie’s arsehole at this stage.
Elizabeth said,
May 13, 2007 at 7:04 pm
“As you are aware, my judicial separation proceedings concluded around November/December 1993. The issues which I have been explaining to the tribunal – such as why I was renting a house, why my friends gave me money and why I did not operate a bank account for a period of years – are all related to my judicial separation.”
The first two are plausible, at a stretch. But why would a judicial separation be a reason for anyone not “operating a bank account for a number of years”? I can think of only two possible explanations:
(1) The husband’s sworn affidavit of means was not a true reflection of his actual means or his ability to pay maintenance. If the court knew the true extent of the husband’s means, it would order higher maintenance payments to the wife and children. If the wife suspected this, she could apply to the court for a discovery order of any bank accounts and, therefore, the husband closed his accounts and operated on a cash only basis or through bank accounts nominally controlled by others.
(2) As above, but the wife was aware the affidavit of means grossly understated the husband’s means. She was aware that certain amounts could not be declared in the affidavit because they had not been declared to the revenue. She colluded in this in return for, for example, a large lump sum or 100% of the house.
So it seems the only possible explanation for not having a bank account is that he was either cheating his wife and children of maintenance or he was evading tax or, of course, a combination of the two. Or am I missing something? I know these are in camera matters, but what other explanation could there possibly be?
It is also clear from his answers to the Sunday Independent that all the work on the house was paid for in cash – “cash was a more convenient way to effect payment; hence, the £50,000 was withdrawn”. Why is paying in cash more convenient than writing a cheque? One assumes that all those who worked on the house declared all their earnings for income tax and VAT.
Also, why would someone, who was so hard up that his friends had to bail him out, immediately build a conservatory and convert the attic of a four bedroom house that was to be occupied by two adults? Not to mention paying £29,000 in 1994 to an interior design shop – bearing in mind that the average industrial wage in 1998, the earliest year I could find statistics for, was £17,500. Rather out of character for a man who has always boasted of his simple tastes!
Sarah said,
May 13, 2007 at 7:44 pm
another cracking comment Elizabeth. A pleasure to have you on board:-)
Niall said,
May 13, 2007 at 8:50 pm
Look it’s time to give up. Bertie has no decent explanation. He accepted favours knowing full well that these “friends” expected something in exchange. Corrupt.
Gordon Davies said,
May 13, 2007 at 9:20 pm
A nod, a wink or a word or two fromMinister for Finance at a time when the Punt was floating against the Pound, the dollar and all other currencies, could net a fortune for an astute trader. In this case, even the merest hint of financial links between the Minister and British based Irish businessmen can give rise to suspicions of insider trading. Ahern may never have taken bribes, but like his master, arch con artist Haughey, he was not averse to being given tips (a tip for a tip-off!). Impossible to prove, of course.
Gordon
cian said,
May 13, 2007 at 10:15 pm
Elizabeth has managed to do all that is required of a theory. I have held the same opinion for a while.
The others are possible but at a level above the simplest of the lot.
The Issues Around Bertiegate in a Nutshell at Irish Election said,
May 13, 2007 at 10:24 pm
[...] up by a very astute comment by Elizabeth on GUBU; “As you are aware, my judicial separation proceedings concluded around [...]
Damien Mulley said,
May 14, 2007 at 7:20 am
Pat Rabbitte generally was way ahead when it came to best quotes of the election campaign but
is fantastic.
Sarah said,
May 14, 2007 at 10:26 am
PO’Neill points out the flaws in the latest twist about the tax owed over at Irish election. http://www.irishelection.com/05/the-issues-around-bertiegate-in-a-nutshell/#comment-49467
Elizabeth said,
May 14, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Ahern claimed in the Sunday Independent yesterday that £50,000 was withdrawn in cash because it was a “more convenient way to effect payment”:-
“SUNDAY INDEPENDENT: Why, in your opinion, did Celia Larkin transfer an estimated £50,000 of cash from one bank account to another and then return to you a substantial portion of the cash?
BERTIE AHERN: The sum of £50,000 was transferred from my accounts to an account in Ms Larkin’s name to fund refurbishment and other related expenses in respect of the house at Beresford. This was done a few days after Mr Wall paid the booking deposit on the house, when it was thought the sale and rental would occur quickly.
Because the account was a 28-day fixed-term deposit account, it was inconvenient, so the money was transferred to another account from which it was subsequently withdrawn.
As the expenses to be defrayed from the account would be occurring with great frequency – as they related to many small items as well as several large ones – cash was a more convenient way to effect payment. Hence, the £50,000 was withdrawn.”
However, the appendix to his statement issued yesterday afternoon reveals that all payments were made by bank draft, not cash:
“Appendix 1
Supporting documentation
A – Kinsella Interiors
[...]
3. Bank draft dated 26th June 1995 for £10,000 payable to Kinsella Interiors.
4. Bank draft dated 5th September 1995 from Kinsella Interiors for the sum of £19,000. [I assume this is a typo and should read "payable to" rather than "from]
[...]
B – Stamp duty
6. Bank draft dated 28th April 1995 for £8,442 payable to the Revenue Commissioners.
C – All Season’s Conservatories
7. Bank Draft payable to All Season’s Conservatories dated 20th June 1995 in the sum of £3,000.
8. Bank Draft payable to All Season’s Conservatories dated 4th July 1994 in the sum of £3,000. [assume should be 1995]
[...]
D – Weatherglaze
10. Bank draft payable to Weatherglaze Systems Limited dated 20th June 1995 for £5,250.
E – Brown Thomas
[...]
12. Bank draft payable to Brown Thomas dated 21st June 1995 for £2,116.20 (£20 cashback)”
So, payment wasn’t effected in “more convenient” cash. Rather, a very large sum of money was withdrawn in cash, and then seven bank drafts were purchased over a five month period, ranging in value from £2,116 to £19,000. He can’t even keep his story straight over a 24 hour period.
This is not nit picking or an attempt to steer the debate away from “the issues”. For me, at any rate, the most important issue of all is whether we can believe a word that comes out of our Taoiseach’s mouth. Without honesty and integrity, all the election promises in the world are meaningless.
Sarah said,
May 14, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Elizabeth rules…
Mark Waters said,
May 14, 2007 at 12:45 pm
The taoiseach’s integrity is the fundamental issue. After all this is the man we entrust to prudently spend the taxes we pay.
EWI said,
May 14, 2007 at 9:53 pm
Elizabeth said
Please, please get a blog or somewhere else so that I can subscribe?
Hell, have mine, God knows I’ve done nothing with it since the “Freedom” Institute flopped…
omaniblog said,
May 16, 2007 at 6:10 pm
I’d like to say a bit thank you to Elizabeth for restoring my faith in forensic thought over the Bertiegate scandal. (I wish Vincent Browne was as clear, and wouldn’t stumble over phrases, even though we are fortunate to have him.)
Until your comment I was wondering whether there might be money laundering involved. Certainly all the money launderers I know use techniques like those employed by Bertie’s team. And there is nothing odd about someone having one set of habits that he wants to conceal while at the same time being one of the greatest statesmen this country has ever produced, is there?
The way this is going increases my respect for the journalists who pursued the Nixon story. They couldn’t understand what was going on but it didn’t smell right. Nixon got elected but fell soon after. I imagine that no US court proceedings would have been kept hidden in similar circumstances.
Given what Charlie Haughey seems to have done, I think it is best to place the burden of proof on Bertie to prove that he did nothing illegal or morally reprehensible. This isn’t a matter of proving or avoiding a guilty verdict, but a matter of giving example to future generations, I think.
The Crewser said,
May 21, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Good to see FF soaring in the polls again. Thats the best time to take the lead, on the last bend. I reckon the TV debate was the turning point. Bertie outpointed Kenny by a country mile. It would be unthinkable that the Government which brought this great nation to its highest ever peak of prosperity would be dislodged. The Irish Electorate are far too sharp to let that happen. The old adage “its the economy stupid” is still in vogue as much as ever.
Sarah said,
May 21, 2007 at 2:41 pm
riiiiiiiight. Who are you? Little FnFer in NTMA working to put positive messages on blogs? Looking forward to the Tribunal are you?
The Crewser said,
May 21, 2007 at 5:38 pm
I know you are a little disappointed at the recent poll outcome but really is it only one view of things which is acceptable in your little World. Tribumals come and go but when one comes across a really good Prime Minister and Government I feel they are worth holding onto. The economy is in the best shape ever, there is peace in the Northern sector of our Country (thanks in no small part to Bertie) and the future looks bright for Ireland Inc.
Despite all this, all you can call on is some negative story to float your boat.
The Irish people will give Bertie a rousing endorsement next Thursday and being a democrat I am happy about that. But I know the concept of democracy is very painful for some and a perennial disappointment for others.
Sarah said,
May 22, 2007 at 10:11 am
A Prime Minister? A Prime Minister? Is that what we have? Looks like the Blair endorsement went to some people’s heads.
Tell me, what do you think of bringing SF into government? That’ll be a nice little turn around….
The economy is in good shape. Pity FF just take in the all the money and then piss it against a wall and tell us we’ve never had it so good. Sure they can fly over the M50 in the government jet, so what would they know about real people’s lives?
“Tribunals come and go” – what a lovely little way to describe the coming humiliation of the cash-in-briefcases little problem Bertie has…
The Crewser said,
May 23, 2007 at 12:53 pm
This is a brilliant site I must say. If Sarah is not in agreement with your point of view she simply deletes your submission.She may be liberal when it comes to abortion etc but this obviously does not apply to freedom of speech.
Sarah said,
May 23, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Oh go drool over the Indo. This is my house. I’m throwing you out
The Crewser said,
May 23, 2007 at 2:50 pm
That’s not fair. You’d really like me. I’m like a cuddly bear really and I would not try to stop you supporting whichever political cause you liked or expressing any views in support of such a cause as long as you did likewise.
Sarah said,
May 23, 2007 at 3:08 pm
You think you don’t have to stop me because you are going to win anyway. B*stard.
Easy to be cuddly when you have grown fat on the trappings of power. I won’t be able to sleep for days until I see how this thing is going to pan out. HELP!
Paul Newton said,
May 23, 2007 at 3:13 pm
God she’s like a bag of cats today…….
I recommend a brisk walk…. (no too many posters), ok then a lie down in a darkened room with a wet facecloth.
Will you stop letting tossers wind you up?
The Crewser said,
May 23, 2007 at 10:32 pm
My thoughts exactly Paul and there is plenty of them posting onto this site. My advice Sarah is not to take it too seriously. Democracy is a funny thing, we cant live without it even though it hurts so much sometimes. We know Bertie would always make it three in a row. Thats what happens when Governments develop the economy to its full potential as this one did. It would be unrealistic to expect the public at large to allow in a bunch of inexperienced lefties who would fuck it all up.
Full employment has never been achieved in this country before, lets be proud of it and those who created it. It is some achievement for a small Nation less than 100 years old (independent at any rate)
I know you want to salute them too but you are hung up on some negative notion or other. But Ireland has always been like that : divided. Even in 1916 when Pearse and the others were shedding their blood for Ireland there were apologists for the Brittish prepared to throw their piss pots at them. So dont feel too bad at not being able to be on the winning side this time. There will be other times for the liberals and the lefties. But it wont be easy in the future either, SF will be a powerful force much bigger than Labour as they help develop the Northern economy. They will break away from the leftiness which has held them back. Watch this space.
But I will always be here to comfort you and give you a virtual cuddle when times get rough. You might need me over the weekend. Im available 24/7