Bertie Ahern, Ireland’s second longest lasting prime minister, has announced he will resign both as prime minister and Fianna Fáil leader on May 6 after being plagued at the Mahon tribunal by allegations over his finances.
The tribunal is examining claims Ahern received more than £100,000 from businessmen between the late 1980s and mid-1990s, The Guardian reports.
The tribunal found deposits into his accounts between 1993 and 1994 were more than two and a half times his salary. Moreover, while he was the minister for finance between 1991 and 1994, he did not operate a current account.
Ahern might face charges of tax evasion because the court claims one of the payments was made in dollars, which would have been subject to tax. Ahern has said it was originally made in sterling.
Further reading:
Ahern faces coalition split over mystery funds
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