Dunlop denies fabricating meeting to conceal payment

FORMER lobbyist Frank Dunlop denied at the Mahon Tribunal yesterday he fabricated a meeting with a councillor in the early 1990s to conceal a payment of IR£55,000 to a senior politician.

Lawyer David Burke BL, for the late Fine Gael councillor Tom Hand, suggested Mr Dunlop had not met former TD and councillor Liam Cosgrave at the south Dublin church at Newtownpark Avenue on November 11, 1992.

He drew attention to changes in Mr Dunlop’s story to the tribunal about the location of the alleged payment. He put it to Mr Dunlop the lobbyist doctored his diary and inserted Mr Cosgrave’s name to cover up the substantial payment to the unnamed “senior politician”.

Mr Burke pointed out that Mr Dunlop had withdrawn £55,000 on November 11, 1992, and the money had been fast-tracked by Cork-based property developer Owen O’Callaghan the same day.

At one stage, Mr Dunlop had informed the tribunal he gave Mr Cosgrave £5,000 at the church in Mount Merrion and he had a “vivid recollection” of meeting the former Fine Gael politician there.

Mr Cosgrave denies this and says he received £2,000 from Mr Dunlop in Buswell’s hotel.

Yesterday, Mr Dunlop said he met Mr Cosgrave outside the church, an arrangement made by Mr Cosgrave.

Turning to Mr Dunlop’s claims against the late Mr Hand, Mr Burke said the lobbyist had alleged giving Mr Hand between £39,000 and £40,000 in respect of all the modules that have come before the tribunal.

As usual, said counsel, the payments were in cash, there were no records and there were no witnesses.

However, Mr Dunlop drew attention to a meeting on November 9, 1992, between Mr O’Callaghan, himself and Mr Hand, at which the politician requested £250,000 for his support for Quarryvale, the west Dublin project.

According to Mr Dunlop, Mr Hand had said he had asked for £100,000 from Green Property to vote for Blanchardstown, the rival development, and wanted £250,000 to back Quarryvale.

The lobbyist described how Mr O’Callaghan was so outraged that Mr Hand would seek a payment for his commitment to Quarryvale that “expletives spiralled up into the air”.

Mr Dunlop has said he never told Mr O’Callaghan he was making improper payments to councillors and Mr O’Callaghan never asked him.