Ben Dunne
The Moriarty Tribunal inherited the smoking gun left over from the McCracken Inquiry. McCracken, you may remember, was set up to investigate alleged payments from Ben Dunne to Mr. Charles Haughey. Oh, and Mr. Michael Lowry.
In his evidence Ben Dunne said he had been playing golf at Baltray and had three bank drafts in his pocket, each worth £70,000 sterling. As you would when playing a round. After the game of golf Mr. Dunne phoned Mr. Haughey and said he’d call out to see him at his home.
He said he got the impression that Mr. Haughey was not himself, (pause) but looked down (pause) and depressed (pause). As Mr. Dunne was leaving he took the three bank drafts out of his pocket, handed them to Mr. Haughey and said:
Charlie Haughey
Michael Lowry
Ben Dunne
Look - that is something for yourself.
And got that much-misquoted reply.
Charlie Haughey
Thank you, big fella.
Mr.Haughey has NO recollection of the post golf game bonanza, but accepts that he did get the bank drafts which were - probably - passed on to Des Traynor. And the entire 210 Grand found its way into the General Account of ANSBACHER CAYMAN LIMITED.
From evidence given to McCracken, it would appear that Mr.Haughey got in the region of one million pounds from Mr. Dunne.
Jerry Healy, Senior Counsel for the Moriarty Tribunal, asked Mr.Dunne about this.
Jerry Healy
Can we take it, Mr.Dunne, that as an experienced businessman …Can I take it that a million pounds is something you would notice even with the sums of money that went through Dunnes Stores ?
Ben Dunne
I…a million pounds in one go I would have noticed a lot quicker, than if it was, excuse the expression, “on the drip”.
Jerry Healy
I know.
Ben Dunne
But I should have noticed it, yes sir.
Yes you would notice the odd million or two wouldn’t you?
But it would now appear from the Moriarty Tribunal that Mr. Haughey received almost eight and a half million pounds from various sources.
Not so much a drip as a downpour.
Ah. But as Bertie Aherne (our present Tea-shock) says:
Bertie
Maybe when you go over eight and a half million you stop getting shocked.
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