A prominent businessman has told the George Redmond corruption trial that he used the Fianna Fail chief whip on Dublin County Council, the late Mr Patrick Dunne, to assist him in planning matters.
Mr Robert Harris, who owns a truck distribution business, said at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today that the deceased Councillor Dunne would “do all the planning for us”.
“He did a lot of business with my company,” Mr Harris told prosecution counsel, Ms Pauline Walley SC.
“If we wanted an extension to a shed or something like that, he would apply for permission with us. He knew how to do all that.”
Mr Harris also said he sold his farm, The Montana Stud, in Ashbourne, Co Meath, to the late husband of Mrs Mary Seagrave, the same person who owned the land at Buzzardstown in north west Dublin on which Mr Redmond issued a Compulsory Purchase Order.
Mr Seagrave bought the home, described by Mr Harris as “a spare house I had” in 1982 after Mrs Seagrave agreed to the CPO by Dublin County Council.
Mr Harris said he could not remember how he met Mr Seagrave and denied Mr Dunne was given any money to assist in the sale of the farm.
It was day-three of the trial in which Mr Redmond denies receiving £10,000 Irish pounds from Mr Dunne on a date between October 10th, 1985 and June 26th, 1989 as an inducement or reward for doing or forebearing to do anything in respect of the compulsory purchase order (CPO) and to receiving the £10,000 as a reward for showing favour to another in relation to the same land.