Lawyers query Burke on evidence he will give to tribunal

The former minister for foreign affairs Mr Ray Burke has been interviewed this week by lawyers for the Flood Tribunal about the evidence he will give concerning the payment of at least £30,000 to him at a meeting in his house in June 1989.

Mr Burke, who has disappeared completely from public life since he resigned from the Cabinet and the Dail in October 1997, attended a lengthy meeting with tribunal lawyers in Dublin Castle on Wednesday afternoon.

He was represented at the meeting by his senior counsel, Mr Joe Finnegan, and his solicitor. It is believed the tribunal was anxious to hear his evidence next week, but this is unlikely to take place now until mid-June.

A backlog of witnesses has already built up for next week, and the tribunal begins a 3 1/2 week break next Friday because of the impending European and local elections.

It now seems likely that Mr Burke and the other main individuals who have been accused of corruption will be called to give evidence in succession when the tribunal returns on June 14th.

Mr Burke will be questioned on the circumstances of the meeting at which Mr Gogarty alleges he was paid £80,000 by two builders in return for planning favours. The former minister says Mr Gogarty, of Joseph Murphy Structural Engineering, gave him £30,000 but this was a political contribution.

It is likely that Mr Burke will also be questioned on his contacts with the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Ahern, immediately before he was appointed minister for foreign affairs in 1997.

Controversy has raged in recent weeks concerning the amount of information Mr Ahern and the Progressive Democrat leader, Ms Harney, had about the allegations then surrounding Mr Burke.

Mr Ahern talked to Mr Burke immediately before the formation of the Cabinet in June 1997 and then assured Ms Harney there was no reason why Mr Burke should not be appointed, as the money he received was a political donation.

This was despite the fact that Mr Ahern's investigations on the matter had produced contradictory results, and that he had not sent anyone to interview Mr Gogarty.

Mr Burke will also be cross-examined on his contention that the £30,000 he says he received from JMSE was entirely in cash. The company has given evidence to the tribunal that the money came in the form of £20,000 in cash and a £10,000 cheque.

Mr Burke has also acknowledged receiving £30,000 from another company, Rennicks, which came to light last year after he resigned.

His original legal team at the tribunal withdrew several months ago as speculation raged that Mr Burke was anxious to co-operate with the tribunal in return for some form of immunity and a guarantee that his costs would be covered.

However, talks on such a deal collapsed and Mr Burke subsequently appointed new legal advisers.