Gilmartin accuses Ahern of cover-up and ‘low tactics’

FORMER developer Tom Gilmartin accused Bertie Ahern at the Mahon Planning Tribunal yesterday of low tactics by implying the witness needed psychiatric help as a cover-up to corruption in the Government.

Strongly denying he ever received — or believed he needed — psychiatric treatment for paranoia, Mr Gilmartin said his only medical treatment was in connection with heart bypass surgery in 2004.

At one stage during heated exchanges with Mr Ahern’s lawyer Colm Ó hOisín SC, the 73-year-old Sligo-born businessman retorted: “Why are you trying to portray me as some kind of lunatic?”

Mr Gilmartin alleges Cork-based developer Owen O’Callaghan bragged to him about bribing senior politicians — including Mr Ahern — in connection with planning matters. He claims his former business partner, in the Quarryvale west Dublin development being probed, told him he gave Mr Ahern £80,000 in the late 1980s and early 1990s in return for political favours.

Both Mr Ahern and Mr O’Callaghan deny the allegation.

Mr Gilmartin said: “If your client wants to brand me as he has constantly done, and searched the dustbins of Cavan and Sligo and even over in Luton — (places where the witness has lived) — to try and find something on me, to denigrate me. When a Taoiseach, a prime minister of a country has to stoop to that kind of carry-on, to cover-up for the corruption that is taking place under his leadership, by God, there is something wrong with the people that’s voting — not me.”

Asked by Mr Ó hOisín if he had ever discussed with any medical adviser any of his allegations, Mr Gilmartin replied: “Why would I do that?”

Mr Gilmartin was shown an AIB bank document where a banker friend of his, Paul Sheeran, described him in 1994 as being incoherent, paranoid and believing that everyone was against him.

Mr Ó hOisín pointed out Mr Gilmartin did have a long list of people who he believed were out to get him.

This included most of the Irish government, AIB, An Garda Síochána, elements of Dublin Corporation, Sinn Féin, the IRA, Cork-based developer Owen O’Callaghan, councillors, the Inland Revenue, a court registrar in England and a judge in Ireland who described him as a shifty witness.

Asked if he had ever received any medical treatment for paranoia or irrationality, Mr Gilmartin replied “never, absolutely not”.

On Mr Sheeran’s observations, Mr Gilmartin said Mr Sheeran was quite entitled to form that opinion because as a banker there was no way banks would be involved in that type of corruption and the manipulation that Mr Gilmartin was talking about.