Payment of #33,000 from property firm was unsolicited, says Lawlor

MAHON TRIBUNAL: The former Fianna Fáil TD Mr Liam Lawlor says he did nothing for an English property company which paid him almost £70,000 in consultancy fees.

Mr Lawlor says Arlington Securities gave him an unsolicited payment of £33,000 in April 1989 when it decided not to proceed with a planned development of a shopping centre at Bachelor's Walk.

This money was in addition to 10 monthly consultancy fees paid to the TD through Arlington's Irish partner, developer Mr Tom Gilmartin.

Yesterday Mr Lawlor said an Arlington executive, Mr Ted Dadley, phoned him to say the project would not be proceeding and the company wanted to make him a contribution of £33,000.

In the witness-box, Mr Dadley said that he could not recall making such a call to Mr Lawlor. But he couldn't have approved such a cheque without the approval of the company and without an invoice.

Mystery surrounds the £33,000 payment to Mr Lawlor, which was made after the consultancy payments to him through Mr Gilmartin were ended.

Mr Lawlor, representing himself, asked the witness if he agreed that he had never undertaken to lobby any councillor or official on behalf of Arlington.

"How were you going to help us through the corridors of power if you didn't do that?" Mr Dadley responded. The Bachelor's Walk scheme needed all the help it could get, and he wasn't going to rely on any one person.