A solicitor today contradicted an assertion by Mr Liam Lawlor that he could not co-operate with orders to the tribunal due to legal fees being sought for the release of information.
Mr Lawlor's solicitor in London and Prague, Mr Tony Seddon, told the tribunal today that Mr Lawlor does not owe his firm any significant fees. The tribunal has sought documentation from Seddons in relation to the former Fianna Fáil TD's business dealings.
Mr Lawlor had told the tribunal that he could not afford to pay his lawyers £10,000 in fees for their co-operation.
Counsel for Mr Seddon, Mr Anthony Barry, read out a statement. In it, Mr Seddon said he wished to correct a misconception that he was refusing to appear before the tribunal.
He had postponed an earlier request to appear because it had been set up in haste and clashed with time commitments from his own workload and the level of detail required by the tribunal, Mr Seddon said.
"It was never my intention to refuse to travel and to give evidence to this tribunal", he said in the statement.
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