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Former Prime Minister Bertie Ahern could face jail time after Tribunal corruption allegations sent to police

Resigns from Fianna Fail party he once led after tribunal says he accepted money

PATRICK COUNIHAN,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Friday, April 6, 2012, 2:49 PM

Updated Friday, April 6, 2012, 2:49 PM

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Mahon Tribunal has found that former Irish leader Bertie Ahern lied about large amounts of money deposited into his accounts

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Former Prime Minister Bertie Ahern could face seven years in jail for perjury charges after evidence he had lied were forwarded to police authorities.

Current Irish PM Enda Kenny has already forwarded the findings of the Mahon Tribunal to police after Ahern was found guilty of lying about political donations

The Criminal Assets Bureau is also investigating the Mahon Tribunal’s findings of widespread corruption in political life.

Opinion in favor of jailing Ahern seems strong.

Readers of an Irish Sunday newspaper have called for disgraced former Prime Minister Bertie Ahern to be jailed in the wake of the Mahon Tribunal report.

A massive eight out of ten Irish Sun readers have called on the government to put Ahern behind bars after the tribunal found he accepted corrupt payments from developers.

The poll results were published as Ahern announced his decision to resign from the Fianna Fail party before it voted to expel him.

An overwhelming 82 per cent of voters on www.thesun.ie want Ahern sent to prison over his false tribunal evidence.

Women were the most critical with more than 90 per cent in favour of sending Ahern to jail for perjury and corruption.

Ahern could face seven years in jail if a court finds him guilty of perjury.

Ahern confirmed on Sunday that he has resigned from Fianna Fail before the party leadership got to vote on a motion to have him expelled.

“I am deeply saddened at the move,” he said. “The last thing I want to do, given that I have now retired as a public representative, is to be a source of political division in the party I care about.

“In tendering my resignation, I want people to understand that this is a political decision. This is not an admission of wrongdoing. I have told the truth.

“I reject the findings of this inaccurate and unsubstantiated report in the strongest manner.”

“The past week since the Mahon report was published has been extremely difficult.

“What has been said about me is erroneous, unwarranted and unjust. The Tribunal is not a court of law. And it is not infallible.”

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herselfathome | Mar 28, 2012, 09:57 AM EDT

Bertie sent to jail. ha! ha! ha! You must be joking. Who will send him to jail.? The politically appointed judges.? The politically promoted guards who refused to investigate Gilmartin's complaints.? The only way that will ever happen is if Bertie is kidnapped by Al Quieda. Humm, now there's a thought.

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GeorgeDillon | Mar 26, 2012, 12:47 PM EDT

It should never be forgotten that it was Ahern who initiated the disastrous Mass Immigration project. No one has yet investigated the massive corruption involved in bringing in huge hordes of migrant workers to Ireland, then renting them substandard housing. The Fainna Fail vermin were up to their fat necks in that scam, and Ireland will be paying for it for generations.

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muirisobric | Mar 26, 2012, 09:33 AM EDT

Geeeeeeze, they were so intent on feathering their own nests they couldn't have had time to monitor the state of the country as it was spiralling to financial destruction. I have friends who've retired on pension and their pensions are being cut to pay for the greed of these morons. a few years ago when I was home on a visit I caught an interview of Flynn one of the corruptees and he was actually boasting of his house in Dublin and another in Mayo and even one in Brussells. No wonder, after getting 50,000 Euros in an envelope. And they cared about the wellfare of the Irish People! They did in their arses.

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IrelandNorth | Mar 26, 2012, 05:38 AM EDT

Fianna Fail (phon. Fee-anna Foil): The Republican(?) Party were returned to government by a seemingly ideologically autistic Irish electorate on three consequetive occassions - i.e. 3 x 5 = 15 years in power. "Power corrupts. And absolute power corrupts absolutely" - Lord Palmerston. It was under their watch that the casino capitalist of the private banking sector were given free reign, bankrupting the state, causing an auctioning of its sovereignty to the corporate loansharkes of the IMF/ECB/-EU. Like all contemporary Irish politicians, they are mere shadows of the Irishmen and Irishwomen of 1916. Me-Feiners all!

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Murph46 | Mar 25, 2012, 05:52 PM EDT

And some of you rag on the US-I laugh!

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KerryGold | Mar 25, 2012, 02:58 PM EDT

The Irish goverment should stop his pension immediately. Why should he cost this State more by paying for top security for him in prison, so instead just stop his pension. He and his cronies are disgrace to this nation and to anything Irish.

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DaithiSuibhne | Mar 25, 2012, 11:59 AM EDT

To many politicians think they are immune from prosecution,I for one am glad this type of 'Corruption' is being brought out into the light of day. Of course Bertie will say the information is 'Erroneous',I don't think any crook wants to be exposed. I'm sure he has enough friends in high places to wiggle his way out of this mess, but if not let him squirm.

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Searlit | Mar 25, 2012, 11:48 AM EDT

Thanks Portia777, now I understand what LoyalCitizen was talking about re opinions. That was Bertie Ahearn's real mistake, and what has turned the Irish so against him, looks like.

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biggles008 | Mar 25, 2012, 11:27 AM EDT

Min 10 tears jail

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Portia777 | Mar 25, 2012, 09:34 AM EDT

LoyalCitizen. You are 100% correct. Expert witnesses run the court system aided and abetted by those with the money. You need no evidence in Eire to be deemed a witch and have all your property stolen- just the opinion of a British social worker will do. The justice system is really the JUST US system with swearing allegience to the BAR a British corporation designed to collect money for the court.

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jacersagain | Mar 25, 2012, 08:20 AM EDT

Patrick Counihan should have done more research before publishing this rubbish based on a rubbish newspaper’s survey and report. No one can be sent to jail on foot of evidence given in an Irish Tribunal or on foot of a Tribunal’s conclusions. Tribunals are tribunals of enquiry only. They are completely devoid of any legal consequences, a waste of time and a waste of money, according to an Irish Supreme Court Judge. The only way Ahern and others condemned in the Tribunal’s report can be jailed is by way of conviction in a Criminal Court case, which cannot use or quote Tribunal evidence, or its conclusions, in evidence. The Criminal Court case would have to, from a new start, independently try any case against an accused person – in other words, it would have to be a lengthy re-hash of the Tribunal’s goings-on, all at Irish Taxpayer’s expense all over again, and with no guarantee of anyone being found guilty. The irony of all this is that Tribunals were established to avoid, er, costly court cases and establish the truth behind allegations.

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LoyalCitizen | Mar 25, 2012, 08:06 AM EDT

Irish Courts turned traitor on he Irish People decades ago by allowing the use of opinions in law instead of restricting people to evidence.......In court systems around the world evidence is paramount and only the traitors of Ireland would want to use opinions to hide the details of their crimes..........Bertie Ahern will never face proper charges, like any other traitorous politician around the world until court systems are held accountable.

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