Documents linked to a payment of £100,000 to Mr Charles Haughey in 1989 were stolen from the house of an executive of the Custom House Docks Development Company Ltd (CHDDCL) early yesterday.
The documents were taken from the home of Mr Brian Owens (38), secretary of CHDDCL, during a break-in at his house off Griffith Avenue, Drumcondra, at around 5.30 a.m.
The thieves reportedly kicked in a glass panel in the doorway and took Mr Owens's satchel from the hall. Items in the satchel not connected with the controversial payment were discarded nearby.
Asked at his home last night to comment, Mr Owens declined. "You're not on to a good story," he said. He would not confirm or deny there had been any break-in. A window in his doorway was broken.
CHDDCL is a company created by the consortium which won the contract to build phase one of the International Financial Services Centre in the late 1980s. The consortium is made up of the British property company, British Land, and Hardwicke Ltd, the property company owned by the multi-millionaire Mr Mark Kavanagh, who could not be contacted last night. Mr Owens is a director of Hardwicke.
In evidence to the Moriarty tribunal in June, Mr Kavanagh told of being approached in 1989 and being asked to make a contribution to Fianna Fail and to the fund for the medical treatment of the late Mr Brian Lenihan.
Mr Kavanagh subsequently met Mr Haughey in Abbeville, Kinsealy, on the morning of the 1989 general election, and handed over £100,000. The CHDDCL money was contained in one cheque made out to Fianna Fail, and three bank drafts made out to cash.
The stolen documents are understood to contain details concerning the payment. It is not known if copies of the stolen documents have been given to the tribunal, or their importance.
Mr Kavanagh was unable to tell the tribunal who had requested that the payment be made in one cheque and three drafts made out to cash. He said he felt assured handing it over as he was handing it to the leader of the Fianna Fail party.
Although £25,000 was intended for the Lenihan fund and the rest for Fianna Fail, no money was lodged to the Lenihan fund and only £25,000 given directly to Fianna Fail. One £25,000 draft is believed to have been used to pay expenses incurred by Mr Haughey. The other two drafts were used to buy one £50,000 draft which was then given to the party, supposedly as a contribution from Dr Michael Smurfit.
A contribution for £60,000 by Dr Smurfit was lodged to the Ansbacher deposits.
Mr Kavanagh subsequently complained about not receiving a receipt for his donation and in 1996 received an apology from the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern.