Donations ‘a necessary evil’ says secretary

GIVING donations to politicians who could benefit the company was “a necessary evil”, former Monarch property company secretary Anne Gosling told the Mahon planning tribunal yesterday.

“I believe that if donations were solicited by politicians, I think Monarch would have regarded such payments as a necessary evil or as something that would have to be done,” she said.

Ms Gosling described herself as “a personal assistant, facilitator and messenger” to Monarch founder Phil Monahan, from 1969. She became company secretary in December 1997. Mr Monahan died in 2002.

Documents showed Ms Gosling had been a director of over 50 Monarch companies. She retired in 2003. In 1991 she was a 5% beneficiary of a £1.8 million success scheme, worth £90,000 when her annual salary was £10,000.

Explaining why payments were made to politicians, she told tribunal lawyer

Patricia Dillon SC: “These people were elected representatives of their area and in supporting them you were supporting the community that elected them.

She agreed with Ms Dillon the politicians would always have “to be kept onside”.

If that was so, said Ms Dillon, the witness was talking about making payments to politicians to benefit the company. Ms Gosling agreed.

Earlier, Judge Gerald Keys reminded Ms Gosling she was on oath, suggesting she try to recall what politicians came to see Mr Monahan. “Is it you won’t tell us,” Judge Keys interjected when Ms Gosling said she could only remember the late Liam Lawlor.

Ms Gosling later handed up a list of names and apologised to the tribunal “because I misunderstood some of the questions”.

It emerged yesterday Mr Monahan asked for £1.5m in July 1992 from his British joint venture partners in the Tallaght Town Centre, claiming lost opportunities and actual losses incurred because of other foregone Monarch projects.