Wright rejects claims of a cover-up

DUBLIN North TD GV Wright has emphatically rejected claims he reached an agreement with Frank Dunlop to describe £10,000 in cash that he got from the lobbyist as political donations to the Planning Tribunal.

Mr Wright said he had asked Mr Dunlop to meet him at the Merrion Hotel in Dublin, in May 2000 solely to be able to provide accurate information to an internal Fianna Fáil inquiry about payments to politicians.

However, his evidence contrasts sharply with the testimony of Mr Dunlop, who claims Mr Wright tried to involve him in a conspiracy to conceal the true purpose of the payments from the Tribunal.