29/05/2008

Ahern Back At Mahon For Three Day Hearing

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is to appear again before the Mahon Tribunal next week to answer questions about lodgements to his accounts.

The inquiry has set aside three days in total to hear from the former Taoiseach, including Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday and Friday for Mr Ahern's appearance.

He will be questioned after his former partner, Celia Larkin, who is due to give evidence on Tuesday.

Mr Ahern's friend, Manchester businessman Michael Wall, is scheduled to appear this afternoon.

Last week, the former Taoiseach was awarded more than €150,000 in legal costs following his High Court victory against the Mahon Tribunal.

A three judge Divisional Court, which sits hears matters of constitutional significance, found in favour of Mr Ahern on all grounds of his legal challenge against the 11-year-old planning inquiry, which is querying a series of controversial lodgments to his accounts when he was Finance Minister in 1993 and 1994.

The judgment upheld Mr Ahern’s position, that the parliamentary privilege over Dail statements does not permit the tribunal to draw attention to his Dail statements about his financial affairs, which may be inconsistent with his statements outside the Dail or in his evidence.

(DW)


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