Mahon Tribunal Reveals Corruption

A report into the Republic's planning process has found that Former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern is guilty of not properly recording financial transactions however Mr Ahern has not been charged with corruption.

The report has rejected evidence about the sources of money in Mr Ahern's bank accounts.

It is understood that the tribunal found that Mr Ahern failed to truthfully account for a total of 165,214.25 Irish punts passing through accounts connected with him.

It also found that in relation to the B/T account, known as the Bertie/Tim account by bank staff in the Permanent TSB, Mr Ahern and his associate, Tim Collins, failed to truthfully account for 50,000 Irish punts lodged into this account between 1992 and 1994.

The investigation, or the so-called the Mahon Tribunal, has been running for 15 years and has been investigating alleged corruption in the Republic's construction sector.

A report published today as a result of the tribunal has recommended that the Irish police look at the findings.

The final report that runs to over 3,000 pages has several findings of corruption against a number of witnesses.

It alleges that former EU Commissioner Padraig Flynn "wrongly and corruptly" sought donation from developer Tom Gilmartin.

The late Fianna Fail TD Liam Lawlor has been accused of accepting "inappropriate and corrupt payments" from Arlington PLC and former Fianna Fail TD GV Wright has been accused of accepting a IR£5,000 "corrupt" payment from Christopher Jones.

Meanwhile findings of corruption have been made against 11 Irish councillors. Five cannot be named because they are before the courts. The six named individuals are Fianna Fáil's Finbarr Hanrahan, Cyril Gallagher and GV Wright, Fine Gael's Tom Hand, Labour's John O'Halloran and Independent Pat Dunne.

(LB)