Murphy denies any knowledge of alleged payment to Burke

Mr Joseph Murphy snr has denied any knowledge of or involvement in the payment of at least £30,000 by one of his companies to the former Fianna Fail minister, Mr Ray Burke, in June 1989.

In two weeks of evidence to the chairman of the Flood tribunal, Mr Justice Flood, the 82-year-old millionaire has rejected all the principal claims made against him by the former managing director of Joseph Murphy Structural Engineering, Mr James Gogarty.

He completed his evidence, which was taken in private at a conference centre near his home in Guernsey, yesterday.

Mr Murphy is also understood to have denied allegations of tax evasion contained in an affidavit filed by a former chief executive, Mr Liam Conroy, during an unfair dismissals case in 1989.

A replying affidavit filed by Mr Murphy at the time, which sets out his version of the events leading to the dispute with Mr Conroy, was read into the evidence and supplemented by oral evidence from the witness.

However, two further affidavits filed by Mr Conroy, who has since died, were also read into the record, against the arguments of Mr Murphy's lawyers.

These are believed to contain further controversial allegations about Mr Murphy's business affairs. Lawyers for Mr Murphy are expected to fight any move to make the Conroy documents public when the tribunal resumes its hearings in Dublin Castle next Wednesday.

Mr Justice Flood plans to have Mr Murphy's evidence read in public on the tribunal's return to Dublin, but he will first hear the views of the legal parties before allowing this to happen.

The chairman decided to sit in private as a commission in Guernsey after Mr Murphy's lawyers said their client's health and life could be endangered if media were present. Mr Justice Flood rejected challenges to this ruling by media organisations, saying Mr Murphy would be deprived of his rights if he had to give evidence in public.

The tribunal originally hoped to hear Mr Murphy's evidence in one week, instead of the three it has taken.

Mr Murphy, who suffers from a variety of ailments, began giving evidence on Thursday, September 30th. On most days Mr Justice Flood has sat for three hours a day, though recently this was extended in order to finish his evidence by the weekend.

Mr Murphy missed one day last Friday week because of a chest infection, but otherwise his health has stood up to the challenge of giving evidence. His responses to questions are said to have been slow but lucid.

His son, Mr Joseph Murphy jnr, has attended each day's hearing.

Next week, once the question of reading Mr Murphy's evidence into the public record has been dealt with, the tribunal plans to recall the former Dublin assistant and city manager, Mr George Redmond, to the witness-box. Mr Redmond has given direct evidence but has yet to be cross-examined by lawyers for other parties.

Mr Murphy made millions from pipe-laying and construction in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s, but in the 1980s his business empire was riven by bitter boardroom disputes. Mr Gogarty has alleged JMSE paid money to Mr Burke as a bribe to get planning permission on company-owned lands in north Co Dublin. Mr Murphy says the money was paid over without his knowledge.