I ‘never, ever’ gave money to Ray Burke, O’Brien tells court
Mr O’Brien was giving evidence at the start of his legal action against the Mirror Group Newspapers Ltd over an article that appeared in the Irish Mirror in June 1998 alleging that Mr Burke was to be investigated for a third payment of IR£30,000. The newspaper referred to an anonymous letter which alleged the donation came from radio boss Denis O’Brien.
The case is before a jury in the High Court for assessment of damages only.
In court yesterday Mr O’Brien was asked by his counsel Hugh Mohan SC: “Have you ever bribed anyone”.
Mr O’Brien replied: “I never bribed anyone. Nobody.”
The businessman told the jury he could not believe what the Irish Mirror were alleging in an article “Burke in new IR£30,000 probe” and inside pages on its edition of June 10, 1998. The inside page contained 11 questions put to Mr O’Brien and his answers.
“I was horrified that they would make the accusation. They were trying to damage my reputation. The article was an assassination attempt,” Mr O’Brien said.
Mr O’Brien had initiated proceedings against the Mirror Group Newspapers Ltd and the then editor in chief of the Daily Mirror, Piers Morgan and the then editor of the Irish Mirror Neil Leslie as a result of the publication in June 10, 1998.
Mr O’Brien claimed the articles were published falsely and maliciously and in their natural and ordinary meaning or by way of innuendo meant Mr O’Brien had paid IR£30,000 to Ray Burke who was then a member of the Irish Govenment.
The words also meant he claimed that he had paid money by way of a bribe to Ray Burke and had paid the money for the purpose of securing a licence to broadcast for the 98FM radio station.
The High Court yesterday heard that in April of this year, the Mirror Group admitted the words complained of meant Mr O’Brien had paid IR£30,000 to Ray Burke by way of a bribe and he paid the money for the purpose of securing the radio licence. It also admitted that the words meant that the 98FM licence was awarded to Mr O’Brien on foot of the said alleged payment to Mr Burke. It also admitted that the words meant that Mr O’Brien had secured a licence for Esat Digifone in circumstances which gave rise to suspicion of bribery or corrupt practices and that he had engaged in corrupt practices which warranted investigation by the Flood Tribunal.
Mr O’Brien yesterday told the jury and Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne he was in Milwaukee in the US mid west in 1998 as part of the Esat Digifone roadshow to attract potential investors when he got a phonecall that the Mirror were asking questions about an anonymous letter.
“I knew there was no truth in what they were trying to allege in the questions, ” he said.
Mr O’Brien said he thought the questions were outrageous and said he has never seen the anonymous letter.
Asked by his Counsel why he was not prepared to answer four of the questions which asked if he ever made a single donation of IR£5,000 or more to Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael or if he made donations of a combined value of IR£20,000 to Ray Burke or Michael Lowry, Mr O’Brien said they were “kind of trick questions.”
He said he had of course made donations to political parties both North and South and said it was part of the political process.
When he read the article in the Irish Mirror, Mr O’Brien said he asked his solicitor to write a letter and seek an apology but said he has never received one.
“The article has been hanging out there for the last eight years and it is only in the last four or five months in correspondence that the Mirror said it was wrong and the story was totally untrue. For eight years, they fought the case,” he said.
Mr O’Brien said he gets annoyed when he reads the article again. “I thought it was outrageous to publish. It was totally untrue,” he said.
The case before Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne and a jury continues today.
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