Secret payments to Irish ex-PM

A fact-finding tribunal ruled on Thursday that former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern took secret payments of 210,000 euros ($277,000) while in office as both prime minister and finance minister, some dating back to the early 1990s.

Although Ahern repeatedly lied about the payments under oath, the three judges led by Justice Alan Mahon did not find him guilty of corruption. They found no evidence that Ahern gave favors to any of his cash donors. But two other MPs of Ahern's Fianna Fail party were found guilty of corruption.

The former Taoiseach, the Gaelic name for prime minister, had repeatedly claimed that various sums that were deposited in the name of his then-girlfriend Celia Larkin and his two daughters came from betting on horses. Several business associates of Ahern had also claimed that they raised the money in a pub without Ahern's consent.

The judges dismissed these explanations, saying that "much of the explanation provided by Mr. Ahern as to the source of the substantial funds identified and inquired into in the course of the tribunal's public hearings was deemed by the tribunal to be untrue," according to the tribunal's report.

Prime Minister Enda Kenny has referred the findings of the Mahon Tribunal, which was purely a fact-finding mission, to the police and state prosecutors.

The Mahon Tribunal was set up by parliament in 1997. The three judges have heard from 409 witnesses during more than 900 sittings. It found that corruption affected "every level of Irish political life and was allowed to continue unabated."

Ahern, who was one of Europe's longest-serving premiers, resigned in May 2008 after repeatedly being called to answer questions about payments he received. Ahern said in a statement on Thursday he would review the findings.

ng/dfm (Reuters, AP)