Mr George Redmond received an envelope containing £25,000 in cash from Mr James Gogarty of the Murphy Group at a "clandestine" meeting in Clontarf Castle Hotel, Dublin, in 1988 or 1989, the tribunal was told.
Mr Redmond said Mr Gogarty gave him the cash because he had found a "good buyer" for the Murphy lands by setting up an introduction with the buyer, Mr Michael Bailey of Bovale Developments.
At the time he was the assistant Dublin city and county manager, but he could not put an exact date on the meeting. He said the meeting was clandestine because "it was just myself and himself".
When asked if he was uncomfortable accepting the money, he replied: "As far as that was concerned I had done nothing, in getting somebody a purchaser for land. There was nothing unlawful in what I did."
The meeting followed the agreement between Mr Bailey and Mr Gogarty for the sale of the Murphy lands.
Counsel for the tribunal, Mr Patrick Hanratty SC, asked Mr Redmond to describe what took place at the meeting.
"He was very brisk. He told me that they [the Murphy Group and Mr Bailey] had agreed terms. He seemed to be happy about them. He seemed happy having met Mr Bailey." He said Mr Gogarty told him he had helped to bring the sale about.
He said: "I can't remember whether we had any refreshment or that. I don't think we did. He more or less said that the company or the land was in the process of being sold or agreed. It was at that stage or past that stage, and he gave me an envelope and, well, I, insofar, I am a bit vague, it was £25,000."
Mr Hanratty asked how big the envelope was and Mr Redmond said he could not remember.
"I think we have had this before. Was it the size of a brick?" asked Mr Hanratty.
"It was. My recollection, it was a reasonable size. I don't know," replied Mr Redmond.
He added: "I thanked him for it and he explained what it was for and patted me. We were very good friends. He said: `Look, you have got us a buyer when things were difficult. He is a good man and I am.' That was it."
Mr Hanratty pressed Mr Redmond about the size of the envelope.
"Presumably it was a large envelope," he replied. "I don't remember. I mean I can't remember whether it was white or buff or what, or what size."
Mr Redmond said he could not remember what he immediately did with the money but said it would have been put in his house eventually. After that it was lodged for some time but he could not be more specific about where it ended up finally.
Mr Redmond said he never told the Dublin city manager, Mr Frank Feely, he had received £25,000 from Mr James Gogarty. Mr Redmond said he did not see the need because there was "nothing unlawful about it". He said Mr Gogarty had "sworn me to secrecy". He described Mr Gogarty as "very, very pleased at the outcome of what he was negotiating with Mr Michael Bailey". He said Mr Gogarty told him it was "a beneficial settlement as far as his principals were concerned".
Mr Redmond said he could not put an exact date on when the meeting took place, although he was almost certain it was in the spring or summer.
It followed an earlier meeting at Clontarf Castle attended by Mr Redmond, Mr Michael Bailey of Bovale Developments and Mr Gogarty. At this meeting, Mr Bailey was introduced to Mr Gogarty by Mr Redmond.
Mr Redmond said he acted as a co-ordinator at the first meeting, where Mr Gogarty discussed the Murphy lands with Mr Bailey. When asked how the introduction between Mr Bailey and Mr Gogarty went, he said: "It wasn't like Livingstone and Stanley."