Mr George Redmond claimed yesterday that a sum of £25,000 which he said he received from Mr James Gogarty did not relate to his duties as Dublin assistant city and county manager.
Mr Pat Hanratty SC, for the tribunal, asked Mr Redmond about any payments he received apart from his income. He said that in his tribunal statement Mr Redmond had said he received a payment of £25,000 from Mr Gogarty in 1988.
"In the case of Mr Gogarty, I can only tell you that I never expected anything from Mr Gogarty. Mr Gogarty left my office whenever he did and I thought I'd never see him again. The clear understanding I had with Mr Gogarty was that I got him a purchaser for the land, for his clients that is, and he was very happy about it," Mr Redmond said.
Mr Hanratty asked if that was the kind of advice he gave other people about land.
Mr Redmond said that, in the case of Mr Gogarty, the advice he gave was again looking out for the council's interest. A lot of advice he gave would be oriented towards the council's advantage.
Mr Hanratty asked: "If that was the case, did it occur to you that it might not be appropriate for you to take the £25,000 which you say he (Gogarty) paid you in cash?"
"It didn't relate to my duties. He had land and I got him a purchaser and that was it," he said.
Mr Hanratty said he had just said that he was looking after the council's interest. Mr Redmond agreed and said that in the advice he gave Mr Gogarty he was looking after the council's interest.
Mr Hanratty asked: "But for the advice you gave him, he gave you £25,000?"
"Oh no, not for the advice. He gave it for getting a purchaser for the land," Mr Redmond said. The advice he gave Mr Gogarty related to the planning permission which might expire on the lands.
He also told the tribunal that Mr Gogarty had said he handed a letter to Mr Joseph Murphy jnr but he had never even met Mr Murphy until he saw him at the tribunal. He had advised Mr Gogarty what to write.