Haughey says his human rights breached by Moriarty tribunal

On January 18th this year, the first day of his giving evidence in private, Mr Haughey said he was "mentally and physically incapable…

The Moriarty tribunal heard this afternoon Mr Charles Haughey believed his human rights were being "fundamentally infringed" by the tribunal and he was attending it against his will.

On January 18th this year, the first day of his giving evidence in private, Mr Haughey said he was "mentally and physically incapable" of coping with the tribunal as he was becoming increasingly forgetful and was taking medication.

The tribunal was today hearing Mr Haughey's evidence compiled in private over the last three months. The testimony was gathered during 20 one-hour-a-day sittings because of Mr Haughey's state of health.

Mr Justice Michael Moriarty
Mr Justice Michael Moriarty.

While giving evidence in the private sessions Mr Haughey said he definitely had no memory of a cheque for £20,000 from Mr Ben Dunne which was lodged into Mr Haughey's NIB account in Malahide in Co Dublin.

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Mr Dunne previously told the tribunal he had given the cheque to Mr Haughey in his Abbeville home in 1993.

Mr Haughey also denied knowledge of the so-called "Carlisle payment" from Mr Dunne for £180,000.

In a statement read out at the tribunal today the former taoiseach also indicated he had "never consciously or deliberately attempted to evade tax".

He said that after Mr Des Traynor's death Mr Jack Stakelum took over as his financial adviser and that he and Deloitte & Touche had dealt with his tax affairs.

Charles J. Haughey
Mr Charles Haughey.

Mr Stakelum, however, has told the tribunal he was not Mr Haughey's financial adviser and he had no function whatsoever with Mr Haughey's tax affairs.

Mr Haughey denied receiving a cheque for £100,000 from property developer Mr Mark Kavanvagh on the day of the general election in 1989 at his Abbeville home and also said he was unaware of the practice of pre-signing cheques from the party leader's account - a function then performed by the now Taoiseach, Mr Ahern.

Mr Haughey also said he did not attempt to divert funds raised by the Fianna Fáil Party for the cost of the late deputy leader Mr Brian Lenihan's medical care.

Introducing today's evidence Mr Justice Michael Moriarty said most witnesses had co-operated "admirably" with the tribunal but warned that the few who had not "will have to live with the consequences".

Mr Moriarty said Mr Haughey's evidence had been more convoluted than expected and the overall volume of testimony at the tribunal had been "quite tortuous, time-consuming and exhausting".

He added he was determined to see the tribunal would not last a day longer than necessary and a report would be published as soon as all the evidence had been heard.

The tribunal continues tomorrow.