Dunlop thought he would never be caught bribing

THE political lobbyist Frank Dunlop has admitted he never believed he would be caught for bribing councillors.

Mr Dunlop told the Planning Tribunal yesterday he never feared detection despite his involvement in making corrupt payments to politicians for several years in the 1990s.

Asked if he found dispensing bribes to be stressful, Mr Dunlop replied: “Not particularly.”

In the latest module, Mr Dunlop claims he paid £1,000 each to Fine Gael councillor Liam Cosgrave and Fianna Fáil councillor Tony Fox for supporting efforts to rezone lands belonging to St Gerard’s School, Bray, Co Wicklow.

Both men who are still members of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Co Council strenuously reject the accusations.

Mr Cosgrave and Mr Fox have also been accused by Mr Dunlop of getting £7,000 each in bribes for their assistance in the rezoning of other lands in nearby Carrickmines.

Under cross-examination by Mr Cosgrave’s barrister David Burke BL Mr Dunlop said making corrupt payments did not cause him any real physical or emotional stress. Mr Burke said such arrogance in not worrying that he would be caught was incredible.

However, Mr Dunlop retorted that the same observation could be applied equally to Mr Cosgrave and “everyone involved in the process”.

Mr Burke said his client had been used as ‘a patsy’ by the lobbyist because Mr Cosgrave had no idea how much money he had been given by the lobbyist.

Mr Dunlop rejected the suggestion he had used such knowledge as a platform to build lies about the former TD.

He also refuted claims by lawyers for Mr Fox that he had “dropped (their) client in it”. Mr Dunlop hinted that further allegations of bribery will be made against Mr Fox in future modules of the inquiry.