Cork businessman Mr Denis O'Brien has been ordered to identify the Irish Nationwide Building Society account which generated funds for the creation of a £50,000 cheque allegedly paid to the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern.
Judge John O'Hagan also yesterday ordered Mr O'Brien to tell Mr Ahern's legal team when and where he had a conversation with Sunday Business Post journalist Frank Connolly about the alleged payment.
Mr Ahern has taken a defamation action against Mr O'Brien, Ballyharoon House, Glanmire, Cork, arising out of a claim by the businessman that he had given the Fianna Fail leader £50,000 on behalf of a property developer.
Mr Ahern began defamation proceedings in August following articles in the Sunday Business Post and Irish Examiner in which an unnamed businessman was reported to have given evidence in private to the Flood tribunal about two alleged £50,000 payments to one current and one former politician.
Judge O'Hagan ruled on an application by Mr Rory Brady SC, for Mr Ahern, for an order directing Mr O'Brien to reply to a notice for particulars seeking identification of the account and the time and whereabouts of the conversation.
Mr Ahern's claim stated that Mr O'Brien had alleged that he had been approached in 1989 by a property developer to deliver two cheques. It was claimed he said he had been given a cheque made out to cash for £100,000 drawn on the AIB and had lodged it in the Patrick Street branch of the Irish Nationwide Building Society in Cork.
Judge O'Hagan ordered Mr O'Brien to identify the name of the account or accounts which generated the funds for the creation of the £50,000 cheque allegedly paid to Mr Ahern.