Manchester businessman Micheál Wall has told the Mahon Tribunal that he put in an offer for a Dublin house without looking inside it.
Mr Wall said the house in Drumcondra was judged suitable by Bertie Ahern who had agreed to rent it and had an option to buy.
Mr Wall said it may seem stupid to buy the house at Beresford Avenue without seeing inside but this was usual with him.
He saw the outside one weekend and it looked great so it had to be reasonable inside.
Mr Wall said Bertie Ahern's then partner Celia Larkin had been looking at houses. He said if it was suitable for Bertie Ahern it was suitable for him.
His tender for £138,000 was accepted in November 1993 and he paid a £3,000 booking deposit by cheque.
Mr Wall said he was looking to buy a house in Drumcondra because he was planning to expand his coach business to Ireland and needed a place to stay two or three times a week.
He said Mr Ahern was his friend and was looking for a house to rent.
From the start he agreed that Mr Ahern had an option to buy if he found the house suitable.
Mr Wall said he would not be so cheeky as to ask Mr Ahern why he did not buy a house himself at that time.
He said if Mr Ahern had asked to buy the house six months later he would have agreed.
In answer to counsel for the tribunal Mr Wall insisted that he 'certainly did' stay in the house when Mr Ahern was a tenant.
He said he stayed about 20 times and could stay this evening if he wanted.
Mr Wall said he brought over around £30,000 sterling in December 1994 because he thought that a further deposit was required.
He admitted previously saying that it was intended for a conservatory and stamp duty but said that was 'swings and roundabouts'.
Mr Wall said he gave the money in cash because he dealt in cash and he had it.
His plans for an Irish coach business changed following a serious accident in Easter 1995.
Asked about donations to Fianna Fáil Mr Wall said he gave STG£2,000 in cash to Tim Collins around 1989 for elections.
He said he was not concerned that this ended up in the BT account.
Mr Wall also said he took a table for eight every year at the O'Donovan-Rossa Cumann at the Kilmainham dinner.
AIB official not aware of corruption claims
Earlier today an AIB official told the Tribunal she was not aware of complaints of corruption by developer Tom Gilmartin.
Mary Basquille said Mr Gilmartin threatened to go to the press to wreck the Quarryvale development in 1992, but denied there was ever an allegation of bribery.
Ms Basquille said that Tom Gilmartin was often extremely irrational.
AIB was worried that he could cause negative publicity at the time of a crucial rezoning vote in December 1992.
Ms Basquille said that was why two senior bank figures would have gone over to England to talk to Mr Gilmartin.
But she denied that Mr Gilmartin had threatened to go to the press with allegations of corruption.
She said he told her he was going to tell the press he had been mistreated by the bank and his shareholding diluted.
Ms Basquille said that she did not make a memo of this telephone conversation with Mr Gilmartin.
And the two AIB figures who went to England have no record of their meeting either.
Ms Basquille said she never heard Mr Gilmartin mention the word bribery.
She also had no particular recollection of him refusing to authorise payments to lobbyist Frank Dunlop.
Ahern back before Mahon Tribunal next week
Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is to appear again before the Mahon Tribunal next week to answer questions about lodgements to his accounts.
The inquiry has set aside Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday and Friday for Mr Ahern's appearance.
He will be questioned after his former partner Celia Larkin who is due to give evidence on Tuesday.
Mr Ahern's friend, Manchester businessman Micheál Wall, is scheduled to appear this afternoon.
