Gilmartin evidence backed by British businessman

EVIDENCE by the retired developer, Tom Gilmartin that Liam Lawlor arrived uninvited at a meeting in London to demand money for supporting a property development in Dublin in the late 1980s has been corroborated by a British businessman at the Planning Tribunal.

Ted Dadley, a former executive of Arlington the company behind the Bachelor's Walk project with Mr Gilmartin outlined to the inquiry yesterday how the former Fianna Fáil TD unexpectedly interrupted a meeting in their London office in May 1988.

Mr Dadley also admitted he was wrong to originally provide the tribunal with a statement which suggested Mr Gilmartin had advised Arlington to hire the politician as a consultant.

The London businessman said that Arlington executives and Mr Gilmartin were informed Mr Lawlor was in reception and looking to come and join their meeting. He recalled that those present were "intrigued and bemused" by this as Mr Lawlor had arrived in their offices uninvited. However, Mr Dadley corrected a factual error in Mr Gilmartin's evidence by saying it was not a company board meeting.

Mr Lawlor was "not really wanted", admitted Mr Dadley. However, the Arlington executives decided to invite the former TD into the meeting out of courtesy. "It was put over by Lawlor that he was representing the Government and he could help us through the corridors of power," said Mr Dadley. However, he later claimed such doors were "firmly closed" when needed.

He explained that because Arlington was a foreign company involved in a large development in Ireland they decided they had "nothing to lose" by listening to Mr Lawlor's proposals.

Questioned by tribunal barrister, John Gallagher SC, Mr Dadley said: "Lawlor definitely brought up the question of money." He believed that Arlington had subsequently engaged the services of the politician for a period of 10 months.

"I'm not sure what Lawlor did in that 10 months," said Mr Dadley. "It did not last longer than (that), we were clearly getting nowhere with or without his assistance. There was clearly no point in having Lawlor there any more."

The witness said he wished to make it clear the money paid to Lawlor was not a political contribution.

Mr Dadley said he could not recall if a figure of £100,000 had been mentioned by Mr Lawlor but did remember something about the TD wanting a percentage of Mr Gilmartin's stake in the Bachelor's Walk project.

Mr Dadley yesterday accepted he was mistaken to suggest his company's development plans were partly scuppered by media reports which were published "within 48 hours" after he had turned down a request from former Fianna Fáil Minister Padraig Flynn to make a political donation.

The Planning Tribunal had heard on Wednesday that details of a confidential plan by Arlington Securities to develop a major shopping centre at Bachelor's Walk had appeared on the front page of the Irish Times shortly after a company director, Ted Dadley had declined to make a contribution to Fianna Fáil.