Mr Charles Haughey told the tribunal that he got on with his political life and never gave much thought to his financial affairs as it was Mr Des Traynor's responsibility to "keep the show on the road".
Mr Haughey confirmed that his income from 1979 onwards was from public service and that he always cashed his salary cheque. Mr Traynor relieved him of the burden of looking after financial affairs and he had full implied authority. Mr John Coughlan SC, for the tribunal, asked if Mr Traynor ever discussed with him how any monies raised by way of loans should be repaid.
"Not specifically that I recall," Mr Haughey said.
Mr Coughlan said none of the income from his public service went into any of the bank accounts that Mr Traynor dealt with. Were there ever any discussions as to where the money was to come from to service the bill-paying service at Haughey Boland, or pay any borrowings Mr Traynor might have raised on his behalf?
Mr Haughey replied that he did not recall any such discussion.
Mr Coughlan asked: "Leave aside now altogether the question of the settlement with AIB and the £450,000 balance, where did you think the money was coming from to deal with your affairs?"
"I don't suppose I gave it very much thought. As I said, it was his responsibility to keep the show on the road, as it were, and I was always satisfied that he could do that and I got on with my political life," Mr Haughey said. " So it never occurred to you to even wonder where the money was coming from?" Mr Coughlan asked. "Not in that specific sense, no," said Mr Haughey. He assumed Mr Traynor was arranging the necessary borrowings. They sold Rath stud.
Mr Coughlan said that paid off a loan from the Northern Bank Finance Corporation. The tribunal had also seen the Central Bank's records of an application for a loan from Cayman for £400,000. There was another loan from Guinness & Mahon. There were also loans from ACC but they were a different type, as they were for the farm, which were rolled over.
Mr Coughlan said he took it that while Mr Traynor dealt with his financial affairs, he did not deal with political affairs. Mr Haughey replied: "No, certainly not, no. He was always very insistent that he was not a political person and that in so far that he would make any sort of contribution to our country's affairs, it would be through relieving me of financial responsibilities and handling them himself. He felt that that was the best way he could contribute to this country's well-being." Mr Coughlan turned to an AIB bank memo dated September 1979 which recorded that Mr Haughey denied he had any other bank accounts. Records showed a resident current account in his name in Guinness & Mahon in 1975.
Mr Haughey said he did not recall this. He never knew of the existence of any account and never had any statements or chequebooks sent to him. Mr Coughlan referred to an article in the Evening Press in January 1983 which claimed Mr Haughey was in debt to a major bank for £1 million. The AIB then published a statement saying it was "outlandishly inaccurate". Mr Haughey said he had nothing whatsoever to do with the AIB statement. Asked if it was much different to other speculative type articles written about him, Mr Haughey replied: "Except it was probably more full of rubbish than most of them."
He added: "I've no interest in dealing with this type of hostile media that I had to put up with right throughout my public life." The tribunal adjourned until tomorrow.