Gilmartin honourable and truthful, say witnesses

DEVELOPER Tom Gilmartin — who alleges falling foul of political corruption when he tried to set up a west Dublin project in the early 1990s — was an honourable and truthful man, the Mahon Planning Tribunal heard yesterday.

Retired senior banker, Paul Sheeran, said he had known Mr Gilmartin, who was then based in Luton, London, since 1972/73. He was respected in British business circles as a property developer and previously in engineering.

Mr Gilmartin claims his former business partner, Cork property developer, Owen O’Callaghan, bragged about having senior politicians “in his pocket” and making corrupt payments to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and former taoiseach Albert Reynolds.