Whistleblower’s Ansbacher files were ‘fully examined’ – Feehily

Public Accounts Committee is questioning the Revenue Commissioners

All files drawn up by a whistleblower into alleged tax evasion by former senior politicians were fully examined and followed up, the chairman of the Revenue Commissioners has said.

Addressing the Dáil Public Accounts Committee, Josephine Feehily said all material on the issue which were referred to Revenue by the Minister for Jobs and Enterprise were pursued “wherever it took us”.

The committee questioned the Revenue Commissioners about allegations made by a serving official in the Department of Jobs and Enterprise Gerry Ryan about tax evasion by former senior political figures.All files drawn up by a whistleblower into alleged tax evasion by former senior politicians were fully examined and followed up, the chairman of the Revenue Commissioners has said.

Addressing the Dáil Public Accounts Committee, Josephine Feehily said all material on the issue which were referred to Revenue by the Minister for Jobs and Enterprise were pursued “wherever it took us”.

The committee questioned the Revenue Commissioners about allegations made by a serving official in the Department of Jobs and Enterprise Gerry Ryan about tax evasion by former senior political figures.

Mr Ryan had served as the “authorised officer” under company law who investigated Ansbacher accounts in the Cayman Islands.

He contended in a dossier given to the committee last month, under new whistle blowing legislation, that a number of named former senior politicians had held such offshore accounts.

He maintained that details of these secret accounts had never emerged as part of previous investigations in Ansbacher.

Independent TD Shane Ross said Mr Ryan had maintained that Revenue along with a number of other State agencies had not carried out any meaningful investigation into this alleged tax evasion.

Ms Feehily disagreed and said she was surprised at these claims.

She said between September 1999 and February 2011, Revenue had received extensive reports, information, books and documents from the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation relating to Ansbacher accounts.

“All of this information has been examined and followed up and is included in the cases which were investigated by the Ansbacher Project team (established by the Revenue Commissioners).”

She said Revenue officials had told her that many “helpful meetings” had been held with Mr Ryan over the years.

However she said that under tax confidentiality rules she could not share internal Revenue files with Mr Ryan on its subsequent actions.

Ms Feehily rejected any suggestion that there had been political interference in the operation of the Revenue Commissioners.

She said on foot of its investigation into Ansbacher a total of 289 cases were identified.

“As of now, 283 cases have been finalised. Of the remaining 6, 5 have made payments on account and 4 are under appeal.”

She said 138 of the finalised cases had yielded €113 million in tax, interest and penalties.

She said in addition to the direct Ansbacher inquiries there had been two “spin-off” investigations carried out by the Revenue Commissioners.

“The combined yield from the Ansbacher investigations and the two spin-offs will likely exceed €250 million”, she said.

Asked why no-one had been prosecuted, she said prosecutions had been actively considered in a number of cases but these did not go ahead for a number of reasons.

Ms Feehily said one significant impediment was legislation which dictated that proceedings had to be instituted within 10 years of the alleged offence being committed.

She also maintained that the availability of relevant original documentation was an essential element for a successful criminal prosecution.

“That element was largely missing”, she said.

Ms Feehily said there were few original documents available and there was “no legal mechanism to compel Cayman entities to produce documents or their employees to give evidence”.

Questioning Ms Feehily, Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said that at the core of Mr Ryan’s allegation was that in late 2003 or early 2004 he had discovered a “secret ledger” and that it had not been investigated at all