MR CHARLES HAUGHEY is to give evidence to the Dunnes tribunal as to how he received Pounds 1.3 million from Mr Ben Dunne "as a matter of probability", but did not know at the time who the donor was.
It is understood the tribunal team has become aware of the identity of some other Irish residents whose monies were also kept in a secretive account managed by the late Mr Des Traynor, Mr Haughey's one-time accountant. At one stage, up to Pounds 40 million belonging to various Irish residents was in this account, the tribunal was told yesterday.
While the keeping of monies off-shore by others is outside the tribunal's remit, Government sources said last night the Revenue Commissioners were keeping a "watching brief" and would act on any information of relevance to them.
Mr Haughey has agreed to appear at the tribunal and supply documentation after receiving a subpoena from the tribunal last week. He is likely to appear next week.
Mr Haughey's counsel yesterday accepted that Pounds 1.3 million was paid by Mr Ben Dunne into accounts managed on the former Taoiseach's behalf "as a matter of probability". Mr Haughey's counsel, Mr Eoin McGonigal SC, said Mr Haughey was not aware at the time the money had been given by Mr Dunne to Mr Traynor for his benefit.
Mr Denis McCullough SC, for the tribunal, said that of the Pounds 1.3 million received by Mr Haughey, Pounds 105,000 was used to pay a debt he owed to the Agricultural Credit Corporation. The bulk of the remainder of the Pounds 1.3 million was traced to a Cayman Islands bank account maintained in Dublin, from which payments were made to defray Mr Haughey's substantial bills and expenses.
Meanwhile, the decision of the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands as to whether the tribunal can hear evidence there will be delivered today or tomorrow.
It is thought that, whatever the ruling, it may be appealed, either by the tribunal or by the Cayman-based businessman and former banker, Mr John Furze. Mr Furze is one of those from whom the tribunal wishes to hear evidence.
A Dunnes Stores spokesman said yesterday no decision was likely to be made on whether to seek return of the money paid to Mr Haughey until the tribunal's outcome was known.
It is understood the tribunal team may have evidence that other money, besides the Pounds 1.3 million given by Mr Ben Dunne, came out of the accounts managed by Mr Traynor for Mr Haughey. The source of this other funding is unidentified because the memorandum accounts covering money paid into Mr Haughey's coded "S8" sterling account, are believed to be in the Cayman Islands and so are not available to the tribunal.
The issue of the origin of funds paid into accounts for Mr Haughey's benefit, other than those that came from Dunnes Stores, is outside the tribunal's remit.