Official who made tax evasion claims investigated Ansbacher accounts

The civil servant who provided a dossier to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) alleging tax evasion by a number of former politicians was originally appointed by former tánaiste Mary Harney to investigate offshore bank accounts – known as the Ansbacher accounts.

Gerry Ryan, who still works in the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, was asked in 1998 to investigate tax evasion schemes by Ms Harney, who was then the senior minister in what was known as the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Mr Ryan was appointed an authorised officer under company law.

Mr Ryan – who declined to comment earlier this week and did not return calls yesterday – says in the covering letter of his dossier that he was “asked to terminate my investigations” by Ms Harney in June 2004.

Numerous political sources involved in the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats coalition say the claims, which mainly focus on former Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs, were fully investigated.

Gardaí also said the claims had been “fully investigated”.

Not complete

In the covering letter, Mr Ryan claims he was asked to cease his investigations while they “were ongoing and before they were complete”.

Ms Harney did not return calls last night.

Mr Ryan also says he brought his claims to the attention of Ms Harney’s successors in the department: Micheál Martin, Batt O’Keeffe and Richard Bruton.

Mr Ryan said he submitted a 763-page report to Mr Martin in 2007, after being asked by the minister to substantiate his allegations, and that Mr Martin sent it to the “Revenue Commissioners, the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation, the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement and the Moriarty and Mahon tribunals”.

Fianna Fáil sources said Mr Martin also referred the allegations to Matthias Kelly QC, who was chair of the UK bar council, as well as relevant authorities.

Mr Ryan says he wrote to Mr Bruton on two occasions since the Fine Gael-Labour Coalition took office in 2011, as well as to Attorney General Máire Whelan. He says he prepared a witness statement at the “request of the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation” and submitted this to Mr Bruton.

A statement from the Department of Jobs and Enterprise said: “As a matter of course, any relevant material in relation to a case like this would be forwarded by the department to the relevant authorities.”

An Garda Síochána said “it received allegations of this nature in 2007 and they were fully investigated and a file sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions”.

“If any new or further information on these matters are provided to us then they will of course be investigated.”

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the dossier had been discussed by the Garda and the Moriarty tribunal. When asked if a Minister had seen the dossier, Mr Kenny said there was “a delay in the issue of some documentation because of the retirement of a public servant and pressure of work”.