FG hands over details of $50,000 donation to Moriarty

Fine Gael has handed over details to the Moriarty Tribunal of a $50,000 donation from the telecommunications company, Telenor, which the party received almost four years ago.

Earlier, the party published legal opinion which advised it in 1998 that it was not obliged to disclose details to thetribunal of the donation in 1997.

The legal opinion by Mr James Nugent SC, received by Fine Gael in March 1998, said "the terms of reference of the Moriarty Tribunal do not encompass this particular payment".

Fine Gael received £33,000, the punt equivalent of $50,000, in 1997 from an account held by the late Mr David Austen who was a former party trustee. Fine Gael says it believed the money was a legitimate political donation and when they became aware of the source of the money they attempted to return it to Norwegian telecommunications company Telenor.

Telenor had a 40 per cent stake in Esat Digifone which was awarded the secondmobile telephone licence in 1995.

Fine Gael general secretary Mr Tom Curran said in statement last night details of the donation were not disclosed to Moriarty in case a connection was made between Fine Gael and the granting of the licence in 1995 in Esat Digifone.

Fine Gael has handed over details to the Moriarty Tribunal of a $50,000 donation from the telecommunications company, Telenor, which the party received almost four years ago.

Earlier, the party published legal opinion which advised Fine Gael in 1998 that it was not obliged to disclose details to the Moriarty tribunal of a $50,000 donation in 1997.

The legal advice says the payment was not made directly or indirectly to Mr Michael Lowry who was being investigated by the Moriarty tribunal.

"Fine Gael could not be considered to be a connected person within the meaning of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995. Fine Gael is not a 'person' nor is it an 'individual' nor is it a 'body corporate'", the legal advice says.

Earlier the former Fine Gael leader Mr John Bruton denied information on the source of the had been withheld for political reasons. This is despite an admission by Mr Alan Shatter that it was a "wrong decision" at the time.

Mr Bruton said details of the donations were not revealed because Fine Gael learned of them in a confidential meeting in 1998 and acted on the legal advice given by Mr Nugent.

But Mr Alan Shatter, Fine Gael's Justice and Security spokesman said today: "I believe that a wrong judgement was made in 1998, that the Moriarty Tribunal should have been given the information that was available to Fine Gael.

He said it was for the Moriarty Tribunal to determine whether there was anything arising out of that information that was relevant to the tribunal's terms of reference.

Fine Gael said last night it would be making contact with the Moriarty tribunal today.