McGowan got transcript of call

A British accountancy firm recorded a conversation with tribunal lawyers and provided a transcript of the conversation to builder Mr Joe McGowan, the tribunal has heard.

Last year tribunal lawyers contacted Major and Co in north Wales, seeking information about a deceased British businessman, Mr Ernest Otte well. Mr McGowan says Mr Otte well helped him raise large amounts of money for Fianna Fail and Mr Ray Burke in the 1970s and 1980s, but the tribunal has been unable to find any documentary evidence to support this claim.

Yesterday Mr McGowan said Mr Ottewell had many trusts for his family, which he left "very well off". He was "one of the greatest authorities on clocks and porcelain" in the world.

After the tribunal sought information about the Ottewell trusts from him, Mr McGowan contacted Major and Co and offered to pay the costs of any searches it did. The company told him it didn't have documents "at the moment" to assist the tribunal, he said.

Ms Patricia Dillon SC, for the tribunal, asked if it was the firm's "normal habit" to tape calls from people who rang unexpectedly - Mr McGowan must have known Major and Co "reasonably well" to get a transcript. Mr McGowan agreed he had a reasonably close relationship with the company.

It also emerged that Mr Tom Brennan was "adamant" he didn't want his Channel Islands trust, Beachside Holdings, disclosed to the tribunal, according to a note from his solicitor taken in March. He was advised that he might have to disclose it.

The tribunal has now adjourned the taking of evidence from Mr McGowan for the summer break. Apart from a short hearing to take evidence from the former government press secretary, Mr P.J. Mara, in the Century Radio module, it will not sit until mid-September.