O’Callaghan failed to tell gardaí of bribe claims

CORK developer Owen O’Callaghan admitted yesterday he had failed to inform gardaí about his knowledge of planning corruption, despite being aware of allegations of bribery against three politicians, including the late Liam Lawlor.

The millionaire businessman was also forced to admit under questioning at the Mahon Tribunal that he had first-hand information about corruption as he was directly issued with a demand for £250,000 by a Fine Gael councillor. However, Mr O’Callaghan rejected a suggestion by tribunal lawyers that he had withheld such information from gardaí because it could have impacted negatively on his attempt to get land rezoned for a large shopping centre at Quarryvale near Lucan.

On his second day in the witness box at Dublin Castle, Mr O’Callaghan agreed he was aware of allegations of planning corruption against three politicians: Liam Lawlor; former Fianna Fáil councillor Finbarr Hanrahan; and the late Fine Gael councillor, Tom Hand.

Mr O’Callaghan claimed he had no proof against any of the three men, even though tribunal barrister Patricia Dillon SC reminded him he had personally been asked for £250,000 by Mr Hand for his support for Quarryvale.

Mr O’Callaghan defended his position, claiming allegations were made against only three out of a total of 78 members of Dublin County Council, none of which he was in a position to prove.

Mr O’Callaghan said he had not reported the matter to gardaí because he had “serious doubts” about the credibility of developer Tom Gilmartin, who was the source of the allegations against Mr Lawlor and Mr Hanrahan. “I was quite new in Dublin, I came from a totally different culture.”

Mr O’Callaghan acknowledged yesterday he had been informed by Mr Gilmartin that Mr Hanrahan, a Lucan-based councillor, had demanded £100,000 at a meeting in Buswell’s Hotel in early 1989 to support Quarryvale.

The developer remained unapologetic for his failure to report the allegation about Mr Hanrahan when he was questioned by gardaí in 1989. He said he felt both glad and very lucky he hadn’t mentioned the matter because all the claims which Mr Gilmartin had subsequently made were “more than likely incorrect”.

Mr O’Callaghan claimed he had never discussed the possibility of more widespread bribery in Dublin County Council with political lobbyist Frank Dunlop, apart from the incident involving Mr Hanrahan, and had not followed up the matter further.

He also confirmed that the late Mr Hand had sought £250,000 from him at a meeting in 1992. Mr O’Callaghan said he felt the Dundrum-based councillor never really knew what was happening. Mr Hand was “completely bothered”.

Mr O’Callaghan said he had never discussed the request for bribes from either Mr Hanrahan or Mr Hand with Mr Dunlop. “How could I treat them seriously? They were ridiculous amounts of money. It might as well have been £1m.”

Mr O’Callaghan agreed Mr Gilmartin had once told him about a bribe demanded by Liam Lawlor for £100,000 in 1988. Asked if he had discounted three separate allegations of bribery as irrelevant, Mr O’Callaghan said he had difficulty believing Mr Gilmartin’s allegations.

“My God, the man has never told a world of truth in his life,” he said.