£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.

The cheque, which Mr Gilmartin signed, was made out to cash. Mr Flynn insisted the cheque was written out before the men met.

At the time Sligo-born Luton-based Mr Gilmartin was planning a shopping complex at Quarryvale in west Dublin. He claims he was encountering resistance to his proposal from politicians and it had been suggested it would help if he donated to the FF party.

Tribunal member Judge Gerald Keys asked if Mr Flynn was not uncomfortable receiving a £50,000 cheque from a developer given that he was a minister holding high office.

Mr Flynn replied that coming up to an election “that would not occur to a person”.

After he admitted there was no acknowledgement in writing for the cheque — the biggest donation he had ever received — Judge Keys remarked the witness didn’t have the courtesy to acknowledge the donation and declared he found this “extraordinary”.

After further cut and thrust, Mr Flynn said: “He was thanked there on the spot.”

The tribunal heard Mr Flynn — who served as EU social affairs commissioner from 1993 to 1999 — had over £71,000 in a non-resident joint account with his wife Dorothy in London. Mr Flynn said he had no records to back up his evidence that over half of this was spent on election expenses.

He said the “external account” in AIB in London was opened by his wife. The couple’s address was recorded as Northumberland Road, Chiswick, but Mr Flynn admitted the couple never lived there.

He said withdrawals totalling £37,000 went on election expenses, but he had no records of this.

A further £35,000 went on investments in sterling and US dollars in National Irish Bank handled by his daughter, Beverly Flynn. But he denied that all the investment money came from this account. Some of the money came from cash in his safe at home, he said.

The 68-year-old retired politician is due to continue his evidence today.

Meanwhile, his daughter, Beverly Flynn, was readmitted to the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party last night.

Ms Flynn was expelled from Fianna Fáil in 2004 following her failed libel action against RTÉ.