Ahern ‘among politicians who sought donations from Gilmartin’

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern was one of several senior government politicians who asked for donations to Fianna Fáil when the party was said to be £3 million in debt, the Mahon Planning Tribunal heard yesterday.

Former developer Tom Gilmartin listed the other FF members who sought donations from him as then-Environment Minister Padraig Flynn, Liam Lawlor and party national organiser Sean Sherwin.

Mr Ahern is due to return tomorrow to testify for a third day about his personal finances. These relate to payments made to him in 1994 and 1995 when he was Minister for Finance.

Yesterday, Mr Gilmartin, 72, was quizzed about “blank” cheques he gave to Mr Flynn and Mr Lawlor, then a TD, but insisted he had nothing to hide and had done nothing illegal.

On Mr Flynn’s instructions, he said, he left the payee blank on a £50,000 donation intended for the party ahead of the 1989 general election. Mr Flynn was then party treasurer.

Mr Gilmartin also told Paul Sreenan SC, for developer Owen O’Callaghan, that Mr Lawlor was paid consultant fees at the request of Mr Gilmartin’s British backers, Arlington Securities.

He said it did not concern him that in both these cases he was asked to leave the payee blank.

The witness denied he had ever paid a bribe. The payment to Mr Flynn was a political donation and not aimed at getting tax designation for the Quarryvale project in west Dublin.