Mystery man ‘demanded £5m’ and told developer ‘he could end up in Liffey’

A MYSTERY man is alleged to have sought £5 million from Tom Gilmartin outside the ministerial offices in Leinster House and told the land developer he could “end up in the Liffey” when the demand was refused.

The Planning Tribunal heard Mr Gilmartin at one stage identified the man as Liam Lawlor but in his final statement said it was someone he did not recognise.

Mr Gilmartin claims the demand was made in late January 1989 after Mr Lawlor approached him in Buswell’s Hotel, opposite the Dáil, and told him “the boss”, meaning then Taoiseach Charles Haughey, wanted to see him.

Mr Gilmartin said they went across to the Dáil and he was shown into a room where Mr Haughey and various government ministers were assembled. He said these were Gerry Collins, Justice; Brian Lenihan, Foreign Affairs; Bertie Ahern, Labour; Seamus Brennan, Transport and Tourism; Albert Reynolds, Finance; Padraig Flynn, environment and Ray Burke, communications. Mary O’Rourke, then Education Minister, said she passed through the room later.

Mr Gilmartin said he was introduced to Mr Haughey who told him to “keep up the good work” and later, as he was led out of the room, said he “hoped Liam was taking care of him”.

He said when he left the room, Mr Lawlor was outside and made to approach him but hung back when a man he did not recognise came up to him. This man referred to the developments Mr Gilmartin was planning and said a lot of money was going to be made out of them.

He suggested making a payment of £5m (€6.35m) and handed him a piece of paper with an account number of a bank in the Isle of Man. Mr Gilmartin said he told the man: “You fellows make the f***ing Mafia look like monks”.

He said the man told him: “You could end up in the Liffey for that statement”.

The tribunal heard all bar Mr Haughey and Mrs O’Rourke were either denying the meeting ever took place or saying they did not remember it. Mr Haughey’s solicitors said he was too ill to give evidence but Mrs O’Rourke said she did recall an occasion when Padraig Flynn came to her office and told her to come along to meet Mr Gilmartin who was “going to provide hundreds of jobs for the Dublin area”.

Mrs O’Rourke said the ministers were informally assembled in the office and she was briefly introduced to Mr Gilmartin before leaving again.

The only other witnesses to refer to the £5m demand were then Dublin city manager, Frank Feely, and assistant city and county manager, Sean Haughey, to whom Mr Gilmartin complained about the incident.

Mr Feely and Mr Haughey compiled notes of a series of complaints Mr Gilmartin made to them in late February 1989 during a three-and-a-half hour meeting.

Mr Feely and Mr Haughey sought an urgent meeting with Mr Flynn and appraised him of the allegations. Mr Feely said Mr Flynn seemed to already know about some of them and said they should be investigated.