Businessman made £12,000 clandestine cash payment to Dunlop

BUSINESSMAN Denis Mahony admitted to the Mahon Tribunal yesterday that cash payments totalling £12,000 he made to former lobbyist Frank Dunlop could be considered “clandestine and hidden transactions”.

Mr Mahony, a car dealer, kept no records of the two payments £10,000 for helping efforts to get land he owned in North Co Dublin rezoned a decade ago and £2,000 several months later when Mr Dunlop demanded a "success fee".

Admitting these transactions were "unusual", he said he kept some funds at home in his safe for security reasons and had used some of this money. The money came from his own business and was reflected in the accounts.