Roche accuses tribunal of being 'petty'

A senior Government minister has accused the Mahon tribunal of being "petty" and "voyeuristic" in its questioning of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

During questioning in Dublin Castle yesterday on his personal finances, Bertie Ahern accused the tribunal of trying to "stitch me up" during an angry outburst.

At another point, when being questioned by tribunal counsel Des O'Neill SC, Mr Ahern referred to his separation from his wife which, he said, "I don't think is any of your damn business".

Minister for European Affairs Dick Roche this morning said this morning that the questioning of Mr Ahern was "provocative".

"It was petty, it was personal, it was prurient, and it was voyeuristic," Mr Roche said on RTÉ's Morning Irelandradio programme.

"It seems to me that a lot of the questioning, in the early part of yesterday, was provocative, and to provoke a reaction," he added. "And if the Taoiseach was, as has been described in some papers, as tetchy I can well understand that. I'd be very tetchy in those circumstances too."

He said the "powerful powerful body like a tribunal" had trespassed and trampled on Mr Ahern's rights.

Mr Roche said he had repeatedly defended the tribunals but added: "What I feel yesterday was the manner in which it was doing its work was simply unacceptable in a civilised society."

Fine Gael senator Eugene Regan, speaking on the same programme accused Mr Roche of being "over the top"

"The tribunal is simply testing the evidence. It is entitled to ask questions, particularly when the evidence of the Taoiseach to date is quite unbelievable with regard to dig-outs and whip arounds and Manchester dinners and no bank accounts etc," he said.

He also accused Government ministers of interfering.

"They are trying to undermine the tribunal and undermine its credibility. You had a minister some weeks ago claiming the tribunal was acting outside its terms of reference, in fact acting illegally. You had Dermot Ahern yesterday attacking the tribunal, and you had the minister today doing likewise."

He said the tribunal was asking "a few basic simple questions, and the Taoiseach can answer yes or no, and this is a pure diversion from the evidence".