The Mahon tribunal has been accused of allowing itself to become a platform for the airing of "preposterous allegations" against Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
A lawyer for Mr Ahern today told the tribunal that allegations being made against him by developer Tom Gilmartin were "part of a pattern of malicious and false allegations" made over the past seven years.
The tribunal opened its second so-called Quarryvale module this morning with an opening statement read by tribunal lawyer Des O'Neill outlining various aspects of monies lodged by or on behalf of Mr Ahern in the early 1990s.
Conor Maguire SC for Bertie Ahern
Conor Maguire SC said the examination of Mr Ahern's financial affairs "seems now to have become an end in itself".
Mr Maguire said Mr Ahern had "always denied unequivocally" allegations that he had been paid separate sums of £30,000 and £50,000 by the developer Owen O'Callaghan.
"Firstly, Mr Ahern has stated and will repeat before this tribunal, that he never at any time received money from Mr Owen O'Callaghan or from anybody on Mr O'Callaghan's behalf," Mr Maguire said.
The tribunal heard Mr Ahern "never at any stage intervened in relation to any tax designation to assist Mr O'Callaghan".
Mr Maguire said Mr Ahern had made discovery of everything requested by the tribunal and that there had been "a huge level of intrusion by the tribunal's inquiries into his personal and family affairs".
Referring to developer Tom Gilmartin, who is expected to give evidence to the tribunal tomorrow, Mr Ryan added: "The unpleasantness of having to open all of one's private financial, family and domestic affairs to public scrutiny can surely be understood by everybody.
"What makes the experience that Mr Ahern and those close to him have had to endure all the more unpalatable is the knowledge that all of these inquiries arise by reason of outlandish allegations by a man whose credibility is already in shreds."
Mr Maguire said Mr Gilmartin had "become a puppet for others", a description which raised objections from Mr Gilmartin's own legal team.
Earlier, the tribunal said it will query an apparent discrepancy in a lodgement made to an account on behalf of Mr Ahern in December 1994.
Mr Ahern has stated the sum of money was £30,000 sterling but bank records show no such sterling exchange was made on the day in question.
The tribunal heard that £28,772 Irish punts lodged to an account by the Taoiseach's then partner Celia Larkin was exactly the equivalent of $45,000 dollars at the foreign exchange rates that operated that day.
Bank records received by the tribunal showed that the total amount of sterling notes exchanged at the branch for Irish punts that day was £1,921.55. Mr Ahern has said he was not involved in any significant dollar transactions.
Mr Ahern has said the £30,000 was money given to him by businessman Micheál Wall for the refurbishment of a house in Drumcondra which Mr Ahern was renting from him.
Des O'Neill SC, for the tribunal, said that no one should draw any conclusions from the figures and that there might be other explanations for them.
The second Quarryvale module, which opened today, had been deferred after Mr Ahern called the general election at the start of the month.
The tribunal headed by Justice Mahon, deferred the opening of the module in April after the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, called the general election. Photographer: Dara MacDonaill.
Among four sums of money under investigation is one lodged to an account belonging to Celia Larkin in December 1994.
A sum of €28,772 did not equate to the £30,000 sterling the Taoiseach said it represented based on exchange rates in operation at AIB bank in O'Connell Street, Dublin, on the day it was lodged. It did, however, equate exactly to $45,000, Mr O'Neill said.
However, Mr Ahern's lawyers today said the tribunal had never put this matter to bank officials during their private examination.
The tribunal website lists 125 witnesses it intends calling during the module, which is likely to last into next year. The tribunal is inquiring into planning matters related to the construction of Liffey Valley shopping centre, Dublin, in the 1990s.
The development was led by the Cork businessman Owen O'Callaghan. Another businessman involved, Tom Gilmartin, has alleged that Mr Ahern received payments from Mr O'Callaghan. Both Mr Ahern and Mr O'Callaghan have strongly rejected the allegation.
Mr Gilmartin is scheduled to begin his evidence tomorrow and he was present at today's hearing in Dublin Castle. When Mr Ahern will be called is not clear.