Judge ‘walks out’ amid Lawlor onslaught

JUDGE Alan Mahon staged a “walkout” on the Planning Tribunal yesterday as Liam Lawlor attempted to raise the recent revelation that the chairman had once made a £20,000 tax settlement with the Revenue.

Launching a scathing attack on the tribunal, Mr Lawlor questioned Judge Mahon’s ability to rule on his affairs in “an independent and unbiased manner”.

Mr Lawlor used the revelation about Judge Mahon’s tax settlement with the Revenue in 1992 to try and restrict the tribunal from ruling on whether he should be liable for the inquiry’s costs.

Yesterday’s hearing at Dublin Castle was meant to be confined to legal submissions as to whether Mr Lawlor should be ordered to pay costs estimated at over €100,000 for failing to comply with tribunal orders.

However, the former TD used media reports about the chairman’s tax settlement to question the authority of the tribunal to adjudicate on the matter.

Mr Lawlor complained that a recent newspaper article stated tribunal lawyers believed he had leaked the story about Judge Mahon’s tax settlement to the Phoenix magazine. He claimed the report had prejudiced his own position before the tribunal.

Denying he was the source for the story, Mr Lawlor said any suggestion he had leaked the information could affect the chairman’s ability to deal with his position in “an independent and unbiased manner”.

Mr Lawlor urged the chairman to order a garda inquiry into such media leaks. The former TD also criticised the tribunal’s decision to hear evidence from property developer Seamus Ross two weeks ago.

Mr Ross told the inquiry he had given Mr Lawlor £45,000 for helping to get the postal address of one of his developments changed from Clondalkin to Lucan.

Mr Lawlor claimed Mr Ross’s evidence was “the last straw” as the tribunal was “cherry-picking” a witness in the middle of an unrelated module while he was in the US. At this stage, Judge Mahon attempted to intervene in order to restrict the former TD to the issue of costs.

“I’m going to finish this whether you wish or not, chairman,” replied Mr Lawlor.

When he refused to remain silent, Judge Mahon, looking visibly shaken, rose from his seat and walked out of the hearing.

However, he returned after a short period and said he had formally risen, although his words had not been heard due to Mr Lawlor’s “interruption”.

Judge Mahon said he would issue his ruling on the matter “in a few days”.