The revelation of the existence of "Ansbacher deposits", controlled in secrecy in off-shore accounts at the Guinness & Mahon merchant bank and which amounted to as much as Pounds 30-Pounds 40 million, has added a dramatic new dimension to the work of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Dunnes Stores payments to politicians. It has overshadowed even the further revelations of Mr Michael Lowry's tawdry importunings on behalf of his benefactor.
The tribunal has been told that the monies appeared to be owned, or beneficially owned, by a number of people who were resident in Ireland and were maintained and controlled by the late Mr Des Traynor and Mr Padraig Collery of Guinness & Mahon, it was also told that former Taoiseach, Mr Charles Haughey "obtained the use and benefit of monies held in these confidential and anonymous Ansbacher accounts."
It is unclear how much of the money in these Cayman Island deposits was paid to the benefit of Mr Haughey. In the absence of such hard information, the Opposition parties have called for an extension to the terms of reference of the tribunal. They wish to identify any payments made to politicians or public servants, other than and including Mr Haughey, from sources outside Dunnes Stores. The matter is likely to be debated in the Dail next week. And the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has indicated that he will consult with the tribunal on the matter before coming to a decision. Given his ringing, pre-election declaration that: "it is our job as politicians to protect and vindicate our democratic system and to revive public confidence which is at a low ebb", an extension of the terms of reference would seem likely unless the tribunal formally advises the Government that such a course of action would not be productive or in the public interest.
Mr Haughey is due to give evidence before the tribunal next week. The former Taoiseach is expected to state that "as a matter of probability" Pounds 1.3m was paid by Dunnes Stores into accounts managed on his behalf by the late Mr Des Traynor. Up until last week, Mr Haughey flatly denied that such monies had been received. His legal counsel now proposes to supply documentation to show that Mr Haughey was not aware of the source of this money. It is a fragile defence, designed to protect him from allegations of mendacity or being under some personal obligation to Mr Ben Dunne. It may also relate to taxation matters.
As things stand, Mr Haughey now accepts that he was a kept man during the years he led this State from 1987 to 1992. The Gandon mansion, the island, the yacht, the horses, the affluent lifestyle were not sustainable on his known income or on his accumulated wealth. The fact that he admits "as a matter of probability" that Pounds 1.3m flowed from Dunnes Stores into his bank accounts is a staggering concession. It raises the question: did other monies flow into these and other accounts and from what sources? And while Mr Haughey might not have wished to know who his benefactors were, it stretches credulity to suggest that powerful individuals would not find a mechanism to advise the then Taoiseach of their unstinting generosity. Otherwise, in colloquial terms, it would be like attending a funeral and failing to sympathise with the bereaved.