A senior official with AIB yesterday confirmed a third instance where its records clashed with what Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has told the Mahon tribunal concerning his personal finances, writes Colm Keena, Public Affairs Correspondent.
The evidence from Philip Murphy, who dealt personally with Mr Ahern's affairs at AIB O'Connell Street, Dublin, in the 1990s, came as the tribunal confirmed that Mr Ahern's scheduled attendance this week has been put back to September. The taking of evidence from a number of bank witnesses is taking longer than was anticipated.
The Taoiseach's former partner, Celia Larkin, is scheduled to give evidence tomorrow. His former landlord, Manchester-based Michael Wall, who was due to give evidence on Friday, will not do so until September.
The tribunal is inquiring into a number of foreign exchange transactions that accompanied lodgments made to accounts of Mr Ahern in 1994 and 1995.
Mr Murphy, who was assistant manager at AIB O'Connell Street at the time, agreed that the bank's records showed that a lodgment made in October 1994 by Mr Ahern, could not have comprised the mix of Irish pound and sterling sums cited by Mr Ahern to the tribunal.
"It doesn't add up, isn't that right, Mr Murphy?" the witness was asked. He replied: "Yes."
The tribunal has already heard that Mr Ahern has told it in private that a £28,772.90 lodgment made in December 1994 was made up entirely, or almost entirely, of sterling cash. However, the bank's records show that less than stg£3,000 was purchased by the bank on that day. Also, at one of the dollar exchange rates in operation on the day, the amount lodged equalled $45,000 exactly.
Mr Ahern has also told the tribunal that he used money from a large cash withdrawal in January 1995 to buy stg£30,000, which he later relodged with the bank. A search of the bank's records has found no such sterling purchase.
Ms Larkin, in a letter from her solicitor, yesterday told the tribunal of collecting the large cash withdrawal in January 1995. Ms Larkin said that at Mr Ahern's request, she collected a large bag or parcel from Mr Murphy at AIB O'Connell Street. Ms Larkin delivered that bag or parcel to Mr Ahern.
Ms Larkin took the contents to be a £50,000 withdrawal from a deposit account, the solicitor noted.
Mr Murphy told tribunal counsel Henry Murphy SC, that what Ms Larkin was saying could have happened but he did not remember it.
Ms Larkin, through her solicitor, also told the tribunal about the cash lodgment which Mr Ahern has said was made up entirely or mostly of sterling. Ms Larkin said she was "asked by Mr Ahern to collect a briefcase from his office at St Luke's and bring it to AIB on O'Connell Street and this she did on December 5th, 1994". Mr Ahern has told the tribunal the money in the briefcase had been given to him by Mr Wall.
Mr Murphy said he did not "specifically remember" receiving the lodgment from Ms Larkin but did have "a vague recollection". The money in the case equated to IR£28,772.90. Mr Murphy was asked if the foreign currency could have been dollars. He said: "I suppose it's possible, but I don't recall it."
Conor Maguire SC, for Mr Ahern, reminded Mr Murphy that in his private interview with the tribunal, he said that in his dealings with Mr Ahern, "I never took any dollars". Mr Murphy agreed he had "in substance" said that in his evidence.