O’Callaghan faces quiz on ‘six-figure’ handout

CORK-BASED property developer Owen O’Callaghan is to be asked by the Mahon Tribunal if he gave in excess of £100,000 to candidates who were fighting just one general election.

The tribunal’s request arises from a letter, sent by Mr O’Callaghan to former taoiseach Albert Reynolds, in which he affirmed his support for Fianna Fáil.

Writing to Mr Reynolds on November 17, 1992, Mr O’Callaghan said: “It has always been my policy over the years to support individual candidates and, in particular this time, both in Dublin and Cork.

“As you know, I have very close contact with candidates in both these areas and hope I have done the right thing in supporting candidates individually to gain those vital few seats.

“The total support is in excess of six figures, but it is vital for the country that we have a Fianna Fáil-controlled government.”

Tribunal lawyer Patricia Dillon SC said yesterday she understood a six-figure sum to mean £100,000.

But Mr O’Callaghan’s lawyer Paul Sreenan SC suggested the reference could be interpreted as meaning Mr O’Callaghan’s contributions could have spanned a number of elections.

When Mr Sreenan said he was unaware what the position was, tribunal chairman Judge Alan Mahon said Mr O’Callaghan could furnish a small statement to clarify matters.

Mr O’Callaghan will be testifying at the Dublin Castle inquiry at a later date.

Lobbyist Frank Dunlop — who alleges giving corrupt payments to politicians to support land rezoning in the Dublin area — described the 1992 general election as being the “most expensive” in his memory.

On November 10, 1992, the tribunal has heard, Mr Dunlop urgently asked Mr O’Callaghan to transfer £55,000 from Cork. When the money arrived that day, Mr Dunlop withdrew that amount in cash from the bank.

Asked why he needed the £55,000 so urgently, Mr Dunlop said he knew “demands were going to be made of me from politicians relating to the general election”. But he could not specify why he wanted that exact amount.

Mr Dunlop’s so-called war chest bank account, from which he allegedly made improper payments to councillors, contained tens of thousands of pounds.

The lobbyist claims he paid out £44,000 in connection with the 1992 election — £25,000 to the late Liam Lawlor and the balance to assorted politicians. A statement from Mr Lawlor said he received only £5,000.

Asked what he did with the rest of the “war chest” money, Mr Dunlop said he kept it, either in briefcases in his office or at home.

He told Ms Dillon that he and Mr O’Callaghan never discussed the level of the businessman’s political donations. He had not then known who received such contributions from Mr O’Callaghan and their only discussion related to Mr O’Callaghan’s £5,000 donation to GV Wright, a member of Dublin County Council who stood for the Dáil.