An additional statement by the former assistant Dublin city and county manager, Mr George Redmond, to the tribunal that Mr James Gogarty gave him £25,000 in cash at Clontarf Castle in 1988 with only the two of them present, was rejected by the witness yesterday.
Mr Colm Allen SC, for the Baileys and Bovale Ltd, said Mr Michael Bailey would say in his evidence that his first dealings with Mr Gogarty were in connection with the Forest Road lands.
Mr Gogarty said that was correct. The planning permission was running out.
Mr Allen said Mr Bailey would say he was introduced to Mr Gogarty by Mr Redmond in Clontarf Castle in May 1988.
When asked about meeting Mr Redmond, Mr Gogarty said that he rejected it in that context. Mr Bailey arranged a meeting later in Clontarf Castle. There was no such meeting at that time.
Mr Allen said Mr Bailey would deny that he arranged any meeting for Mr Gogarty with Mr Redmond either at the county council offices or anywhere else. Mr Gogarty said that was completely untrue. Mr Bailey was the man that was introducing him. Mr Allen said there was a further statement of Mr Redmond dated March 4th, 1999, to the tribunal.
Mr Redmond had written: "After I introduced Michael Bailey to James Gogarty as previously outlined, I subsequently had one further meeting with Mr Gogarty in Clontarf Castle. I met him at his request and he gave me the sum of £25,000 in cash. He said it was for getting him a purchaser for the Forest Road lands. He indicated that he was very satisfied with the terms of sale. "I specifically recall Mr Gogarty telling me that he was very pleased with the price that he got. No other person attended this meeting in Clontarf Castle. I again reiterate that Mr Gogarty's description of a meeting with myself, Michael Bailey, Joseph Murphy junior and Frank Reynolds wherein I was handed an envelope by Joseph Murphy junior is a complete fabrication on Mr Gogarty's part.
"Whilst I had, as indicated in my previous statement, advised Mr Gogarty in relation to the Forest Road lands, that advice related to how he could seek to extend the existing planning permission. I fully accept that I advised him what to write to the council in relation to seeking to agree the amount of financial contribution, but I neither expected nor did I receive any payment in respect of this advice."
Mr Allen put it to Mr Gogarty that the statement confirmed that it was Mr Redmond who introduced him to Mr Bailey and not as he had sworn. "I reject that," Mr Gogarty said.
Asked if he gave Mr Redmond £25,000 in cash on that occasion and if they were the only people present, he said: "I reject that."