Tribunal probes Dunlop lie over £40,000 payment

FORMER lobbyist Frank Dunlop was quizzed at the Mahon Tribunal yesterday on why he had lied in his evidence seven years ago over a payment of £40,000 to ex-Fianna Fáil TD Liam Lawlor.

After deciding to co-operate with the planning probe in May 2000, the former government press secretary said he had agreed to the late Mr Lawlor’s demand for £40,000 at a meeting in his office in the presence of two developers, Cork-based Owen O’Callaghan and Tom Gilmartin, then based in Luton, England.

However, Mr Dunlop drew up a document listing the £40,000 as a political contribution to Mr Lawlor in connection with the 1991 local elections. Mr Dunlop said he had agreed a fee of £100,000 with Mr O’Callaghan to lobby councillors.

Asked by tribunal lawyer Patricia Dillon SC why he had lied, Mr Dunlop said: “When I had the change of mind and came in here I did not deliberately tell untruths. But I might have got the facts wrong.”

He said the circumstances of giving evidence in May 2000 after he had decided to co-operate with the tribunal were “quite horrendous”.

Mr Gilmartin previously testified that he was at a meeting in Mr Dunlop’s office in April 1991.

He said afterwards he heard Mr Dunlop complaining that he had to give Mr Lawlor £40,000 because he was “cutting up rough” over money.

The tribunal heard how the relationship between the two developers soured. Mr Gilmartin lost control of his Barkhill company to Mr O’Callaghan, and Mr Gilmartin was declared bankrupt in Britain in 1994. Mr O’Callaghan developed the Liffey Valley centre on the site.

In order to conceal the £100,000 fee he negotiated with Mr O’Callaghan, Mr Dunlop said he used the Shefran company. This was done after Mr O’Callaghan said he had “a difficulty” with Mr Gilmartin.

Mr Dunlop recalled how Mr Lawlor — who was killed in a car crash two years ago — was always asking him for money. He had asked how much he was getting as a fee and had demanded half of it.

Mr Dunlop also alleges he was asked by the late Fine Gael councillor Tom Hand for £20,000 to vote in favour of rezoning the Quarryvale lands in 1991.