Redmond and Lawlor a 'double act'

George Redmond and Mr Liam Lawlor ran a "great double act", with Mr Lawlor asking property developer Mr Tom Gilmartin for money on behalf of Redmond at a meeting between the three men in May 1988, Mr Gilmartin told the tribunal.

However, Redmond, the former assistant Dublin city and county manager, yesterday denied the allegation as well as flatly contradicting Mr Gilmartin's account of their first meeting. Redmond, who was representing himself during yesterday's proceedings, said he had no dealings with Mr Lawlor. He only knew the politician as a "plain county councillor".

"You had a great double act going," replied Mr Gilmartin. He said Redmond had supplied him with a colour-coded map showing the ownership of lands at Quarryvale in west Dublin, at a time when he wanted to develop a shopping centre there, and Mr Lawlor had then made a demand for money. Redmond denied that he supplied the developer with the map and said he had not asked for money.

"You had good reason not to ask for it, yet Lawlor asked for you," Mr Gilmartin replied. He said Mr Lawlor had asked for a substantial sum for himself, and for Redmond.

Redmond said his first meeting with Mr Gilmartin had taken place in July 1988, and they had talked about access from the main roads to his planned development. There was "irrefutable proof" of this in the form of letters exchanged between Mr Gilmartin and a council office.

However, the witness said Redmond was referring to a totally different meeting. The first meeting had taken place in May and had been arranged by Mr Lawlor. At this meeting, Redmond had opened his desk drawer and produced the ownership map for Quarryvale.

Redmond asked how he could have had a "made-to-the-minute" map, ready to give Mr Gilmartin "like Ali Baba". How could he have such a thing when he and Mr Lawlor knew nothing about the developer's intentions for the site and Mr Gilmartin had kept these "close to his chest?"

"Only you and Mr Lawlor can answer that," the witness replied.

According to Mr Gilmartin, Mr Lawlor asked him for £100,000, and a separate payment for Redmond, at this meeting, while Redmond appeared to be on the phone. "It seemed to me there was a double act going on. It wasn't rocket science to see what was going on."

However, Redmond said that at this time Mr Gilmartin had not met him (Redmond) before. The developer had not disclosed his plans for Quarryvale, nor did he own "an iota" of land in the area. There was nothing before the council and it would take years before any planning application could be brought before it.