Libertas refuses to go public on party funding
Tuesday March 31 2009
LIBERTAS last night supplied the State's ethics watchdog with a series of financial documents in a bid to provide "detailed answers" about its funding.
But the anti-Lisbon Treaty organisation will not be making public any copies of the bank statements or loan agreements, despite its own calls for greater political transparency.
Two weeks ago, the organisation failed to provide adequate information to the Standards in Public Office (Sipo) commission on where it got the money to fund its expensive campaign for a 'No' vote in the Lisbon Treaty referendum. It has since been accused of "not being willing to operate under the Law" by Fianna Fail.
Libertas last night submitted documents in relation to three key issues queried. Copies of a €200,000 loan agreement between Libertas chief Declan Ganley and the organisation were provided, after Sipo first wrote to it last June seeking details of any loans provided to the organisation for the referendum campaign.
Details of the thousands of books on the Lisbon Treaty supplied by the Foundation for European Democracy and distributed by Mr Ganley were also submitted.
Sipo had raised questions about whether these constituted a donation because the material could be deemed to be influencing the vote's outcome.
However, legal advisers for Libertas are said to have argued that the books do not constitute a donation because the material was neutral and simply relayed the contents of the Lisbon Treaty.
The third aspect of the submission covers the employees of Mr Ganley's Rivada company, who worked for Libertas in their spare time and on a voluntary basis. Sipo again questioned if the use of these employees constituted a donation. Documents provided seek to outline when staff worked for Rivada, then moved to Libertas.
Asked why the organisation had decided against making the documents public, a spokesman said: "Why would we make them public, spend weeks explaining the details and have the Opposition attacking the contents when they won't do the same thing. There's a need for fairness."
- Aine Kerr Political Correspondent
