THE evidence in the affidavit of Mr John Traynor read by Mr Adrian Hardiman SC in the High Court last Monday during the injunction proceedings against the proposed publication of an article by the Sunday Independent represented a grave dishonour to the memory and reputation of Ms Veronica Guerin.
Among many other things, the affidavit portrayed Veronica Guerin as berating Mr Traynor in hysterical terms for his "non cooperation", and shouting at him that she wanted to do a story on him. It said that she cajoled him with threats into meeting her, that she appeared to him to be irrational, and that she proposed to print a story that was not true.
On the basis of my working relationship with Veronica Guerin going back some 2 1/2 years, and any knowledge of her working methods, there is no doubt in my mind that Veronica Guerin did not behave in the manner the affidavit would have us believe.
The affidavit also stated that "on other occasions she had to print stories because of extreme pressure from her editor, Mr Aengus Fanning". It also said that Veronica Guerin hated her job, that she had told her editor that what she was doing would put him (Traynor) in danger, but that he was unimpressed, and that she said in express terms and repeatedly that her editor was making her "do this".
I never, on any occasion whatsoever, discussed John Traynor with Veronica, I never put her under any duress, I never asked anybody else to discuss John Traynor with her, or to put her under any duress.
I was aware that my deputy editor, Mr Willie Kealy, to whom she reported most of the time, had been discussing the John Traynor story with her, a story which only came to my attention after the matter of Mr Traynor's injunction proceedings arose.
I was unaware of the contents of Mr Traynor's affidavit until I heard a brief reference to them in the 9 p.m. RTE news last Monday, and until I read fuller accounts in the following day's newspapers.
Unfortunately, Independent Newspapers' legal advisers decided that we, as defendants, should not go into evidence last Monday and were not to enter sworn affidavits on my behalf, on that of Willie Kealy, or of anybody else.
Veronica Guerin was on her way to meet solicitors on Wednesday, June 26th, to begin the preparation of her own affidavit when she was murdered.
Aengus Fanning