O'Callaghan denies 'doodles' link Dunlop payments to polls

HANDWRITTEN NOTES made by Cork developer Owen O'Callaghan show a link between payments to the lobbyist Frank Dunlop and the local elections in 1991, the tribunal was told yesterday.

The planning tribunal is currently questioning Mr O'Callaghan as part of its Quarryvale II module, an investigation into allegations of corruption surrounding the rezoning of land on which the Liffey Valley shopping centre was built.

Counsel for the tribunal, Patricia Dillon SC, said that "doodles" made on a 1991 document listing Quarryvale project expenses linked a crucial rezoning vote in Dublin county council with the June local elections and payments totalling £80,000 to Mr Dunlop.

A second document, generated in May 1993, also linked the payments to the elections, she said.

Mr O'Callaghan denied the allegation.

The tribunal had heard that Mr Dunlop was engaged by Mr O'Callaghan to lobby for the rezoning of Quarryvale. A vote to rezone Quarryvale to allow for retail development took place on May 16th 1991. Mr O'Callaghan paid Mr Dunlop £25,000 on or about the day of that vote, paid a further £40,000 in the same month and £15,000 in June. The payments were made through one of Mr Dunlop's companies, Sheafran Ltd, which later became Shefran.

Ms Dillon called up a document made in May 1991 which included the three Sheafran payments.

Mr O'Callaghan had written in longhand beside the three figures: "During May 16th for election funds in June for election pamphlets etc."

Mr O'Callaghan said he was just doodling on the document. "That's what this is, just a scribble," he said. He said he was trying to justify to himself the size of Mr Dunlop's fees.

"I'm pretty sure Frank Dunlop would have been asked for expenses by various councillors to provide election pamphlets, election posters etc," he said.

Ms Dillon pointed out that Mr Dunlop had billed for pamphlets and posters for councillors through a separate company, Frank Dunlop Associates.

She also highlighted handwritten notes on a document from May 1993, which Mr O'Callaghan said he had made in his office in Cork. He had written beside the same Sheafran payments: "No invoice June elections."

Mr O'Callaghan said his note recorded that there would be no invoice from Mr Dunlop for June 1991 because he would not be lobbying councillors then.

"You are cobbling together an excuse for what you've written," Ms Dillon said. "Absolutely not!" Mr O'Callaghan responded.

Ms Dillon said his evidence made absolutely no sense because he could not be making a note in 1993 about not expecting an invoice in June 1991 when he knew by then there were no more Sheafran invoices until 1992.

"This is just a doodle again, just a scribble on a piece of paper for my own information," Mr O'Callaghan said.

A further note had been made on the document by Mr O'Callaghan's business partner, Aidan Lucey, stating: "No invoices." Mr O'Callaghan said the Sheafran invoices were among 50 or 60 files stacked on top of each other on a bench. "I just took the easy way out and told Aidan Lucey I didn't have the invoices," he said.