Financier Mr Dermot Desmond has indicated strongly that he made financial payments to Mr Charles Haughey after 1994, two years after the former Taoiseach left office. He said he would cooperate fully with the Moriarty tribunal, which is investigating the finances of Mr Haughey and former Fine Gael minister Mr Michael Lowry.
In a statement yesterday, Mr Desmond denied he had given money to Mr Haughey "prior to 1994". Any arrangements which he had with Mr Haughey since 1994 were "of a private nature".
In his statement, Mr Desmond said he had never at any time collected or solicited money for or on behalf of Fianna Fail. The statement was issued in response to claims made in Magill magazine.
Mr Desmond said he was not and had never been an accountholder or beneficiary of the socalled Ansbacher deposits - the offshore accounts of which Mr Haughey was one beneficiary. He said he had never received any political favours from any party on any matter.
Amid renewed expressions of concern from Opposition parties about contracts awarded by Mr Haughey's governments to Mr Desmond's National City Brokers,
the financier said that between 1987 and 1992, a competing stockbro king firm received twice as many contracts and/or consultancy agreements as did NCB. Only two of the nine contracts awarded to NCB during the period required ministerial or government approval. Mr Desmond is no longer connected with NCB following its sale to Ulster Bank in 1994.
In his statement, Mr Desmond said he made no money from the International Financial Services Centre, a project which he championed with Mr Haughey's support. In fact, he lost £6.2 million on a building he bought and sold in the centre, he said.
Mr Desmond said he would is sue legal proceedings against Magill. A source close to the financier criticised opposition politicians for comments made yesterday. "Once again when his name is mentioned, politicians jump on the bandwagon without checking the facts," said the source. i Quinn and other opposition politicians, said the source.
The leader of the Labour Party, Mr Ruairi Quinn called on the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to clarify whether Mr Desmond raised funds for Fianna Fail in the late 1980s. He said there was considerable public interest given what was revealed by the McCracken tribunal and that NCB had been awarded public contracts by governments headed by Mr Haughey.
A woman who answered the phone at Mr Haughey's home in Kinsealy said he would not be commenting. Mr Desmond declined to give an on-the-record interview to The Irish Times.
Ministers face challenge on links with Haughey; links with Desmond long-standing; Desmond rejects Magill
