A political contribution by businessman Dr Michael Smurfitsolicited from him by Mr Haughey never arrived in Ireland, according to evidence from the Moriarty tribunal.
It emerged in this afternoon's sitting in which Mr Charles Haughey's examination on deposition last January was read into the public record, an unspecified sum of moneysent by Dr Smurfit to Ireland via Monaco and London was lodged in an Ansbacher-Cayman account in London and never arrived here.
But Fianna Fáil party records show a sum of £50,000 was received by the partyin June 1989 and recorded as coming from Dr Smurfit through the Taoiseach.
According to evidence heard this afternoon the moneyregistered in Fianna Fáil headquarters as coming from Dr Smurfit in fact originated from a donation from Customs Dock Development Ltdfor £100,000 which was made as a political contribution to the Fianna Fáil Party at the behest of one of its fund-raisers.
The contribution, according to evidence given by Mr Mark Kavanagh, who dealt with the contribution for the company, was to be handed over in the form of a cheque for £25,000 and three drafts for £25,000 each.
The cheque - intended for Brian Lenihan's medical fund - was sent to party headquarters as a political donation while the drafts were lodged in an account in Guinness & Mahon.
Subsequently two of the drafts were exchanged for a single one of £50,000 which was then transmitted to Fianna Fáil and registered as a political contribution from Dr Michael Smurfit.
It was suggested by Mr John Coughlan SC for the tribunalthe only way that the drafts could have arrived at Guinness & Mahon was by way of Mr Haughey and the late Des Traynor. Mr Haughey replied that this was "ridiculous".
Mr Haughey denies meeting Mr Kavanagh on the day of the elections on June 1989; that he had any knowledge of Mr Traynor's involvement in routing Dr Smurfit's money; that he had and has no knowledge of an Ansbacher-Cayman account in London, and he knew and knows nothingabout any of the transactions surrounding the Guinness & Mahon account in Dublin.
Mr Haughey's examination on deposition continues tomorrow.