Peer attacks Ahern on terrorism

Ulster Unionist peer Lord Laird used parliamentary privilege

Ulster Unionist peer Lord Laird has accused Taoiseach Bertie Ahern of being complacent about what he described as "white collar terrorism".

He used parliamentary privilege to make allegations about the republican links of an Irish financier and a journalist.

Lord Laird used a parliamentary debate to make more allegations about IRA money laundering and those he claimed were the IRA's sleepers and agents.

He urged further examination of Irish financier Phil Flynn's alleged role.

Mr Flynn is a former chairman of the Bank of Scotland Ireland and was an adviser to Mr Ahern. .

The peer, speaking in the House of Lords on Thursday, said Mr Ahern had forfeited any claim to be an honest broker by "allowing a senior member of a revolutionary movement known to be associating with terrorists into a position of massive influence".

The peer claimed journalist Frank Connolly, whose brother Niall is one of the Colombia Three, had travelled to Colombia on a false passport together with a top IRA man Padraig Wilson.

Mr Connolly told the BBC that Lord Laird's allegations were absurd and inaccurate, while a source close to Bertie Ahern described the peer's claims as absolutely unfounded.

Responding to claims by Lord Laird in the House of Lords that an investigation had started into its Belfast loan book, the Bank of Scotland said it was not aware of any investigation or any plans for an investigation into its Belfast loan book.

Bank sources are confident that their recent loans would stand up to scrutiny of any kind.