Aer Rianta 'spread rumours' on land

A Dublin businessman has said he was informed that Aer Rianta spread rumours linking a consortium which owned land near Dublin airport with the controversy over the Johnston Mooney and O'Brien site.

Anthony Delaney, a former operations director of Neptune Freight Ltd, told the Mahon tribunal he believed that the reference referred to "the common use of Noel Smyth solicitors".

"I am not sure if Mr Smyth was ever involved in the Johnston Mooney and O'Brien site but that is the connection as I understand it," he said. The tribunal has heard that Mr Smyth acted for one element of the consortium.

Mr Delaney said that Neptune Freight was a member of a consortium, known as Cargobridge, which had bought land near the airport in 1991. Aer Rianta opposed plans by the consortium to build warehousing on the site.

The tribunal has heard that in 1992 the majority shareholder in Neptune Freight, Michael McGuinness, had written to councillors expressing concern at "malicious lies and rumours" being circulated with regard to the ownership of Cargobridge.

"I have a recollection, vague or otherwise, of Mr McGuinness telling me that Aer Rianta were spreading rumours about the ownership of the Cargobridge consortium which were that we were related or connected in some way to the infamous Johnston Mooney and O'Brien site," Mr Delaney said.

The Johnston Mooney and O'Brien site in Ballsbridge was at the centre of controversy in the early 1990s after it was bought and then resold to Telecom Éireann shortly afterwards for a significantly higher price.

Mr Delaney also said yesterday that he had acted as a "front" to conceal the involvement in the consortium of Ciarán Haughey, son of former taoiseach Charles Haughey, and his business partner John Barnicle.

He said that he was told by Mr McGuinness that any attempt to rezone the lands owned by the consortium would require cross- party support. He said that Mr McGuinness had maintained that "it would not be helpful" if the Haughey name was known.

Meanwhile, a solicitor who worked for Neptune Freight, Michael Kennedy, has accepted that there was a "clear conflict" between information given to the Department of Transport in 1992 and to counsel retained by Cargobridge regarding the composition of the consortium.

The tribunal heard that counsel was informed that one member of the consortium was Abervanta Ltd which traded as Celtic Helicopters. This was the company owned by Mr Haughey and Mr Barnicle. However the Department of Transport was told that Mr McGuinness and Mr Delaney were the beneficial owners of Abervanta. Mr Kennedy said Mr McGuinness had told him that he was the owner of the company.