Dunlop: Ahern’s schoolmate paid me to lobby

FORMER Government press secretary Frank Dunlop alleged at the Mahon planning tribunal yesterday that a school associate of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern paid him £5,000 in cash to lobby councillors.

Jeweller Robert White, who went to school with Mr Ahern and was a principal director of a company seeking to build 500 houses and a hotel at Swords, Co Dublin, denies any impropriety.

Mr White, who is due to give evidence later, has categorically rejected Mr Dunlop’s claim in a statement to the tribunal.

Specifically, he denies paying Mr Dunlop £5,000 in cash in the corner of the Shelbourne Hotel tearoom in August 1990.

In an earlier statement to the tribunal, Mr White said he made an initial £2,500 cheque payment to Mr Dunlop. He said he ceased all contact with the lobbyist on becoming aware Mr Dunlop was pursuing and promoting a development on adjacent lands, detrimental to Mr White’s proposals.

Giving evidence yesterday, Mr Dunlop described getting cash in envelopes in the Shelbourne on two occasions. He claimed he initially received £3,000, and that five days later Mr White gave him another £2,000.

He also alleged Mr White had revised their original financial agreement, suggesting he pay Mr Dunlop in cash to act for him in a lobbying /PR capacity, as it was essential to make sure other people were looked after and remained onside.

Replying to tribunal lawyer Pat Quinn SC, Mr Dunlop said he could not say definitely he got over £5,000 from Mr White. According to Mr Dunlop, both men agreed Mr Dunlop be paid £10,000, with a success fee of £4,000 in cash.

Mr Quinn asked why Mr Dunlop recorded some details in his diary, since it was not his usual practice.

Mr Dunlop said it was intended as a record for himself as he had not previously met Mr White. He agreed it was unusual for him to write down such details but it didn’t imply he felt he might not be paid. There was no reason for him to send a copy of this to Mr White.

Asked if he had ever raised an invoice on this matter, Mr Dunlop said he didn’t recollect doing so.

Mr Dunlop said he had about 12 meetings with Mr White between August 10, 1990, and December 14, 1991.

Earlier, Mr Dunlop denied he used dead county councillors as soft targets for allegations of bribery.

At the close of evidence on the tribunal’s inquiry into lands at Ballycullen, south Dublin, Mr Dunlop admitted he was wrong to say he paid a £1,000 bribe to FF councillor Jack Larkin, then in hospital recovering from heart surgery.

Tribunal lawyer Patricia Dillon SC asked if this undermined Mr Dunlop’s credibility in relation to the Ballycullen investigation.

Admitting he was wrong about the timing, Mr Dunlop insisted he bribed Mr Larkin after the rezoning was passed, even though he had been too ill to vote.