In another surprising development yesterday, it was revealed that Mr George Redmond, the former assistant Dublin city and county manager, furnished a new statement to the tribunal, claiming that Mr James Gogarty gave him £25,000 in cash.
In his original statement, the tribunal disclosed, Mr Redmond said the meeting at Clontarf Castle "described graphically" by Mr Gogarty never took place. However, Mr Redmond now claimed there were two meetings in Clontarf Castle. He has stated that he introduced Mr Gogarty to Mr Bailey at the first meeting, and then left. Another meeting took place there when Mr Gogarty paid him £25,000 in cash.
Mr John Gallagher SC, for the tribunal, yesterday asked Mr Gogarty to repeat his evidence relating to Mr Redmond which was also in the witness's affidavit.
Mr Gogarty said Mr Reynolds rang him to go to Santry and said they had a meeting fixed up with Mr Redmond in Clontarf Castle. He went "around oneish" and Mr Reynolds drove him and Mr Joe Murphy jnr to Clontarf Castle. Mr Redmond and Mr Bailey were there. Some general conversation took place and Mr Murphy jnr gave him an envelope. Mr Redmond thanked him and said it was a pity he could not be a consultant with the company.
Mr Gogarty said Mr Redmond said he had put himself on the line and stuck his neck out and put himself at risk over Turvey House. He understood the envelope was the result of Mr Bailey having a chat with Mr Redmond because he had wanted £25,000 in compensation in settlement of his agreement for the consultancy. Mr Bailey had got it down to £15,000. Mr Gogarty said he took their word on that.
Mr Gallagher asked Mr Gogarty what he understood was in the envelope. Mr Gogarty said £15,000. Mr Gallagher asked Mr Gogarty if there were any other meetings with Mr Redmond in Clontarf Castle at any time.
Mr Gogarty said: "No, not that I know of."
Mr Gallagher asked if he had read statements furnished by Mr Redmond to the tribunal. Mr Gogarty said he had. Mr Gallagher said that in his affidavit, Mr Gogarty dealt with a meeting in Clontarf Castle.
"And in his response to that, Mr Redmond said the meeting described graphically never took place," Mr Gallagher continued.
In a statement which the tribunal received since he finished asking Mr Gogarty questions, "Mr Redmond has said that he introduced Michael Bailey to you as the person interested in purchasing the lands. There had also been a meeting in 1988 between you about the Forest Road land."
Mr Gogarty said he had met Mr Redmond previously in 1988.
Mr Gallagher said: "Well, he (Mr Redmond) said he introduced you to Mr Bailey at Clontarf Castle and left." Mr Gogarty said: "Sure it was the other way around. In 1988 Mr Bailey set up a meeting with me with Redmond."
Mr Gallagher said: "He also says in his second statement that he had one further meeting with you in Clontarf Castle when you gave him the sum of £25,000 in cash."
Mr Gogarty replied: "Jesus, where did I get all that money? I reject that completely."
Asked if he paid any sum to Mr Redmond any time, Mr Gogarty said: "I think in the statement, too, that he, that (Liam) Conroy paid him some money too, I read that in the statement."
Mr Gallagher said that was a different matter and they could leave that to be dealt with by Mr Redmond's counsel.
Mr Garrett Cooney SC, for JMSE, cross-examining, asked about Mr Gogarty's allegations about the meeting in Clontarf Castle, at which he said Mr Murphy jnr had handed an envelope containing £15,000 to Mr Redmond in front of three other people.
Mr Gogarty said: "He handed over an envelope. I don't know what was in it."
Mr Cooney put it to him that it was complete fabrication and no such meeting ever took place. Mr Gogarty said he rejected that.
Mr Cooney said Mr Murphy jnr would say that the first time he laid eyes on Mr Redmond was at the commencement of the sittings of the tribunal last January.
Mr Gogarty said he could not speak for him.
Mr Cooney said Mr Gogarty had said there had been some form of contact between Mr Murphy snr and Mr Redmond. Mr Gogarty said not directly, but there had been over the years.
Mr Cooney put it to him that it was completely fabrication, that Mr Murphy snr would tell the tribunal he had never heard of Mr Redmond.
"Well, he'd be telling them a bloody lie if he tells them that," Mr Gogarty said.
Mr Cooney said Mr Reynolds would say no such meeting took place. Mr Gogarty said Mr Reynolds would not be telling the truth.
Mr Cooney said that in a newspaper article, Ms Maeve Sheehan, first of all in the Sunday Times and then the Sunday Tribune, said a sum of £25,000 was paid to an unnamed official, and if that was to be believed, she was remarkably accurate in those stories.
"It appears to be, but isn't it a pity that it is so late in the day it is coming out? It could have come out years ago," said Mr Gogarty.