23 March 2012

FF Set To Expel Bertie Ahern

Fianna Fail (FF) has said that it will seek to expel its former leader in the wake of the Mahon tribunal.

The tribunal found that Mr Ahern failed to truthfully account for a number of financial transactions, but did not make a corruption finding against him.

Mr Ahern said he had never "received a corrupt payment".

However, the party said the findings regarding Mr Ahern constituted "conduct unbecoming a member of Fianna Fail".

In a statement the former taoiseach said he had never done "anything to demean any office" he had held.

The investigation has been running for 15 years and has been investigating alleged corruption in the Republic's construction sector.

A report published yesterday as a result of the tribunal has recommended that the Irish police look at the findings.

The final report that runs to over 3,000 pages has several findings of corruption against a number of witnesses.

It alleges that former EU Commissioner Padraig Flynn "wrongly and corruptly" sought donation from developer Tom Gilmartin.

The late Fianna Fail TD Liam Lawlor has been accused of accepting "inappropriate and corrupt payments" from Arlington PLC and former Fianna Fail TD GV Wright has been accused of accepting a IR£5,000 "corrupt" payment from Christopher Jones.

Meanwhile findings of corruption have been made against 11 Irish councillors. Five cannot be named because they are before the courts. The six named individuals are Fianna Fáil's Finbarr Hanrahan, Cyril Gallagher and GV Wright, Fine Gael's Tom Hand, Labour's John O'Halloran and Independent Pat Dunne.

(LB)