Gilmartin accuses Ahern of perjury

BUSINESSMAN Tom Gilmartin has accused Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and other ministers of giving perjured evidence to the Mahon Tribunal.

“Mr Ahern and other ministers — a long line of them — came in here and perjured themselves,” declared the Sligo-born developer at yesterday’s sitting of the tribunal.

“He’s the biggest conman this country has ever seen — the most devious, cunning of them all,” Mr Gilmartin thundered.

Earlier, Mr Ahern’s lawyer, Colm Ó hOisín SC, said Mr Gilmartin, if he was an honest witness, would have given a consistent account and would not have contradicted himself.

“I have told the absolute truth as I know it,” Mr Gilmartin replied.

At the centre of Mr Gilmartin’s allegations is a claim that his former business partner, Cork-based developer Owen O’Callaghan told him Mr Ahern was “in his pocket” and that he had paid him more than IR£100,000 for political favours in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Mr Gilmartin and Mr O’Callaghan were partners at one stage but, it is suggested, fell out. Mr Gilmartin ran into financial difficulties and was declared bankrupt in England. Mr O’Callaghan took control of the project at this stage.

Mr Ó hOisín challenged Mr Gilmartin on his claim that Mr Ahern attended a meeting in Leinster House presided over by former taoiseach Charles J Haughey and accused Mr Gilmartin of forging his diary showing the entry “Meeting with ministers Dáil Éireann (Leinster House)” for Wednesday, February 1, 1989.

Mr Ó hOisín said Mr Gilmartin had changed his evidence on the date he alleged the meeting with ministers took place after Mr Ahern was able to prove he was not there.

According to Mr Gilmartin, the meeting was to inform the Government of his plans to generate investment for the Dublin area. With Mr Ahern were former minister Mary O’Rourke and other ministers, he said. “Mr Ahern is lying if he says he wasn’t at the meeting,” he said.

Mr Gilmartin has claimed Mr O’Callaghan paid Mr Ahern IR£30,000 to block tax designation for the rival Blanchardstown Shopping Centre in west Dublin.

He has also claimed Mr Ahern was paid £50,000 relating to corporation land earmarked for Quarryvale, and between £25,000 and £30,000 in connection with tax designation for Mr O’Callaghan’s Golden Island project in Athlone.

The tribunal was adjourned until Tuesday.