Departing Irish PM Ahern laments exit as unlucky

By Andras Gergely

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said he was "extremely unlucky" to have been caught up in a corruption case that ultimately led to his decision to step down on Tuesday.

Ahern announced a month ago he would quit on May 6 after 11 years in office, because government work was becoming overshadowed by his appearances at a tribunal investigating payments from friends and businessmen he received in the 1990s.

Ahern, who says he has done nothing wrong while acknowledging that his finances were complex, said in a radio interview on Sunday that he was simply unlucky to become involved when two businessmen fell out over a deal.

"I feel very, very unlucky and unfortunate in the extreme," Ahern told public broadcaster RTE.

"Unfortunately, one of them decided to say that the other fellow had given me money and then everything comes down on top of me."

Ahern also recalled "getting into trouble" for not using any bank account when finance minister in the 1990s.

"I wasn't using the bank accounts that were in my wife's name and my name...I was cashing my checks, that is because I was separated at the time and the judicial case was finishing up in the High Court after a very protracted period."

Because of the recent controversy, Ahern lost his reputation as "Teflon Taoiseach" (prime minister) since being re-elected for a historic third term last year.