First independent witness to back Gilmartin claim

THE essence of yesterday’s tribunal hearing was that Eamon Dunphy became the first independent witness to back allegations that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern took money from property developer Owen O’Callaghan.

The allegations were made by Tom Gilmartin, who was once a business partner of Mr O’Callaghan before the two men fell out. Mr Dunphy said yesterday he had inferred from a discussion with Mr O’Callaghan that Mr

Ahern had been “induced improperly” to support a shopping centre project the developer was planning in the early 1990s.