Cosgrave blasts Dunlop over bribe allegations
In an unexpected appearance at the Flood Tribunal in Dublin yesterday, Mr Cosgrave branded the man he once considered his friend as "dishonest" and "greedy".
It represents the first of what is expected to be many attacks on the character of Mr Dunlop, the former Government Press Secretary who has claimed over a dozen developers gave him £184,000 to bribe politicians.
The Tribunal heard last week Mr Cosgrave may have received up to £19,000 in seven separate payments from Mr Dunlop.
In a stinging commentary on such allegations, Mr Cosgrave questioned Mr Dunlop's credibility as the political lobbyist, by his own account, had "trousered" £175,000 in 1991 to evade tax.
He also issued a personal challenge to Mr Dunlop to repeat his allegations outside the Tribunal so Mr Cosgrave could sue him for defamation.
Through a statement read by his barrister, Mr Cosgrave also criticised the procedures adopted by the Tribunal in its investigation into the planning history of lands owned by Paisley Park/Jackson Way and three other businessmen at Carrickmines in south Dublin during the 1990s.
Mr Cosgrave a son and grandson of former Taoisigh had initially asked to address the Tribunal personally. However, he agreed to allow his counsel, David Burke BL to read the statement when informed by the Tribunal chairman, Mr Justice Feargus Flood that he could not make both a sworn and unsworn statement to the inquiry.
Mr Cosgrave also expressed annoyance that, unlike the Tribunal, he did not have access to material supplied by Mr Dunlop which included the latter's views about payments made allegedly on "understandings, nods and winks".
"Instead I have been given what amounts to an A4 sheet alleging that I took moneys for corrupt purposes," said the former TD.
Mr Cosgrave said he was angry and disgusted by Mr Dunlop's allegations. "I had considered him to be a gentleman and a friend," he remarked. "I refute his allegations in their entirety. My vote was never bought by him or by anyone else."
He continued: "Anyone who knows me knows that I have never lived or aspired towards an extravagant lifestyle. I always voted in accordance with my conscience and for the common good. In the 1990s, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown lacked sufficient industrial serviced land and that was what guided me in these matters."
Mr Cosgrave suggested anyone would find it difficult to rebut allegations that they had received cash in an unspecified place at an unspecified time and date 10 years ago.
He said the Tribunal did not appear to have made any effort to force Mr Dunlop to provide greater detail about the alleged payments.
He also criticised the Tribunal over the failure of its opening statement to include the fact that the inquiry had not discovered any link between Mr Dunlop's financial records and the alleged payments to himself, apart from one £1,000 cheque paid at the time of the 1993 Seanad election.
Mr Cosgrave said this omission "beggared belief" as Mr Dunlop had already hopelessly compromised his own credibility.
He described the PR consultant as "a corrupter and corrupting influence" who had operated a sophisticated plan through a sham company to evade tax.
Mr Cosgrave said he was also "deeply disturbed and upset" that the media had swallowed Mr Dunlop's allegations "hook, line and sinker."
"I fear that my reputation has already suffered irreparable damage," he added.
Mr Cosgrave, who is currently a Fine Gael member of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Co Council, claimed he and his family had also "lived through hell" for the past number of years.
In reply, Mr Justice Flood said every person against whom Mr Dunlop had made allegations would have the opportunity to provide their own evidence and cross-examine witnesses.
He pointed out the Tribunal in its opening statement had merely outlined forthcoming evidence as well as recording Mr Cosgrave's rejection of Mr Dunlop's allegations.
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