Gogarty tells of pension `threat'

On the day in June 1989 that Mr James Gogarty says he and others handed over £80,000 to the Fianna Fail politician, Mr Ray Burke, Mr Gogarty was told that there was no movement on his own pension prospects, he told the tribunal yesterday.

Following their visit to Mr Burke's home in Swords, Mr Gogarty said, he was told by Mr Joseph Murphy jnr there could be no movement on establishing the pension as he was refusing to sign the accounts for 1988.

Mr Gogarty said he explained that he had a particular difficulty in signing the accounts as the company had at that time been managed by Mr Liam Conroy, with whom he [Mr Gogarty] had had differences over accounting practices.

"He told me the ball is in your own court," Mr Gogarty said.

Later, on July 3rd, Mr Gogarty said, he was called to a meeting, the agenda for which concerned his pension and the signing of the 1988 accounts. "It was a very stormy meeting because it was evident that the main point for discussion was the signing of the 1998 accounts in which Senior and I had objected away back in 1988, the end of 1988, because we were questioning the validity of the 1987 accounts," said Mr Gogarty.

Mr Gogarty alleged that he was "threatened" if he did not sign the accounts. "Senior said if I didn't sign the accounts, there would be no pension for me."

Later Mr Gogarty said: "It was very rough because he was threatening me to sign the accounts. If I didn't, I wouldn't get my pension, and I wasn't co-operating with him in the Conroy affair and he was going to sell the lands and get away from the whole lot.'