Dukes did not query alleged bribe offerto FG councillor

Former Fine Gael leader Alan Dukes said he did not act on an allegation that a Dublin councillor had been offered a bribe of £100,000 (€139,000) in relation to the Quarryvale development, the tribunal heard yesterday.

Mr Dukes told tribunal counsel Patricia Dillon SC that some time between 1995 and 1998, Lucan Fine Gael councillor Peter Brady told him he had heard that councillor Brian Fleming had been offered £100,000 if he could "deliver" the Fine Gael vote to secure rezoning at Quarryvale.

Asked why, as a senior member of the party, he did not contact Mr Fleming to question him about the alleged bribe, Mr Dukes said he thought it was just another of a welter of rumours flying around at the time.

"The air was thick with rumours of various kinds . . . most of which turned out to have no foundation whatsoever," he said.

Ms Dillon pointed out that Mr Brady told the tribunal he did not remember repeating the allegation to Mr Dukes.

Mr Dukes said he did contact gardaí in relation to one allegation concerning a development in Chapelizod. He said he was approached by the developer behind the project, who told him he paid £10,000 to an official to reduce the amount he would have to pay to the council for servicing his land. He said the developer was told to put the £10,000 in an envelope and leave it with a firm of solicitors in Drumcondra. The contribution saved him £24,000 in levies.

Property developer Tom Gilmartin told the tribunal that former Fianna Fáil press secretary Frank Dunlop "almost fell off his chair" when Mr Gilmartin threatened to contact the fraud squad on the day of a rezoning vote on Quarryvale.

He told tribunal counsel Pat Quinn that Mr Dunlop was paid £300,000 by Owen O'Callaghan in October 1998 to "stick to the script" in relation to the tribunal.

Mr Quinn pointed out that a payment of £300,000 did appear in Mr Dunlop's accounts at the time and was invoiced as "a success fee".

Paul McKeon, counsel for solicitor Séamus Maguire, referred to evidence given on Thursday. He said Mr Maguire did not tell Mr Gilmartin that a meeting had taken place in his office about arranging a payment of £700,000 to disgraced ex-minister Ray Burke. He denied a meeting ever took place in his office to discuss a payment to Mr Burke.