£50k was ‘personal political donation’

FORMER European commissioner Padraig Flynn insisted at the Mahon Tribunal yesterday the IR£50,000 he received from developer Tom Gilmartin was given as a personal political donation.

Mr Gilmartin claims Mr Flynn — then environment minister — told him to leave the payee blank when the cheque was handed over in the run-up to the June 1989 general election.

At the time, Mr Flynn was also a treasurer of FF.