Dunlop explains tribunal lies

FRANK DUNLOP has admitted he colluded with councillors and property developers to mislead the Flood Tribunal by claiming all his payments to politicians were legitimate donations.

The political lobbyist revealed yesterday he had discussed with other people allegedly engaged in planning corruption how they would approach any investigation by the tribunal.

Mr Dunlop explained in detail for the first time yesterday why he lied to the tribunal during his first appearance in the witness box in April, 2000. He subsequently retracted this evidence and admitted he had played a central role in paying large sums of money to members of Dublin Co Council in return for the support of controversial rezoning motions.

He also supplied the tribunal with lists of councillors, developers, journalists and others with whom he discussed the inquiry. Mr Dunlop spent over 40 minutes in the witness box writing the names of such people.

Under cross-examination, Mr Dunlop said his explanation for what someone had described as his Pauline conversion was not being made as a self-serving statement.

"Everyone was in denial," he said. "They knew full well that in the course of the (Dublin Co Council) development plan there had been substantial exchanges of money for particular circumstances and not political donations."

He pointed out that few believed the tribunal would have any success in investigating allegations of corruption in the planning process. "People felt this was a matter that would be dealt with relatively quickly because people would say anything they ever got was a political contribution and therefore legitimate," said Mr Dunlop.

He told the inquiry that he had participated in discussions with individuals about their approach to the issue of such payments if ever questioned by the tribunal.

Mr Dunlop said most people felt the tribunal had been established under political pressure and would only examine one issue a reference to the £30,000 payment which former Fianna Fáil minister Ray Burke received from JMSE.

Apologising to the tribunal chairman Mr Justice Feargus Flood, who was the inquiry's original sole member when it was established in October 1997, Mr Dunlop said people were asking who the judge was and what was his history on the bench.

The former government press secretary said he and others believed the tribunal would soon be "wrapped up in a nice, neat ribbon and forgotten about".

"I agreed with certain individuals that payments that had been made to them would be regarded as political donations," said Mr Dunlop.

However, he acknowledged that he had changed his evidence when he was questioned by the tribunal in April, 2000, about payments from a bank account he held with the AIB in Rathfarnham.