Haughey tells friends he will not return to Moriarty Tribunal

The former Taoiseach Mr Charles Haughey has told friends he will not be returning to the Moriarty Tribunal.

Sources said the tribunal has not accepted that it is finished with Mr Haughey. The tribunal would not comment yesterday.

Mr Haughey finished giving evidence in private to the tribunal on Thursday, March 15th, and was rushed to hospital on the following Sunday night. He had collapsed with a life-threatening heart condition.

He was released from hospital on March 30th. It is understood that one of his medical advisers wrote to the tribunal on the day after he had completed giving evidence, and before he collapsed, complaining of the effect his giving evidence was having. The doctor wrote that Mr Haughey had deteriorated dramatically as a result of having to give evidence, and should not be called again.

Mr Haughey gave evidence in public for two hours a day, four days a week, during the summer and autumn of 2000 but was placed on a different regime following complaints from his medical advisers to the tribunal. The advisers said the process was placing a strain on him which was life threatening.

This year Mr Haughey began giving evidence in private, one hour a day, four days a week. The transcripts of that evidence have yet to be read into the public record and it is expected that this process may begin next week. The tribunal last sat in public on March 22nd.

Mr Haughey has been questioned about money which the tribunal has established he received from various benefactors or by way of various accounts. The chairman, Mr Justice Moriarty, has indicated that the next stage is to address the issue of whether Mr Haughey may have done anything by way of act or decision which benefited benefactors or the sources of funds received.

If the tribunal wanted to obtain further evidence from Mr Haughey it is likely it would be in relation to this aspect of the its work. However, if Mr Haughey refused to co-operate, the tribunal would be forced to go to the courts to see an order compelling him to do so.