A director of Bovale Developments Ltd, who Mr George Redmond claimed gave him bundles of money, yesterday denied ever making a payment to the former Dublin assistant city and county manager.
Mr Redmond had spent two days in the witness box, detailing meetings he had with Bovale director Mr Michael Bailey and payments he received from him. He said he got up to £20,000 between 1988 and 1989.
But when Mr Michael Bailey gave evidence yesterday he said he never gave Mr Redmond any money. He could recall having only one meeting with him at his offices in O'Connell Street, Dublin. He could not recall the date of the meeting but it might have been in 1988. It was arranged by Mr Redmond who asked him to call in to find out how Mr Bailey was getting on in his negotiations with Mr James Gogarty who was selling lands at Forest Road, Swords, on behalf of the Murphy group. Mr Redmond had introduced Mr Gogarty to Mr Bailey.
Mr Bailey said the meeting was brief. He just told Mr Redmond how the deal was progressing and he had not known the purpose of the meeting beforehand.
Mr Desmond O'Neill SC, for the tribunal, asked Mr Bailey if he knew of any reason why Mr Redmond would say he gave him money. He didn't. Mr O'Neill asked if Mr Redmond made any reference to the planning status of the lands when they met. Mr Bailey could not recall.
Counsel put it to him that planning permission was to expire on the lands in May 1988 before he bought them. Mr Bailey said he was aware of this and put an offer on the lands subject to a two-year extension of the planning permission.
Mr O'Neill said permission had been granted by An Bord Pleanala in 1983 subject to certain conditions after local residents lodged an appeal. "Well, that's news to me now," Mr Bailey replied.
The deal between Mr Gogarty and Mr Bailey was sealed in August 1988 and Mr Bailey later sold on the lands for a profit.
Mr O'Neill also asked if he had ever discussed with Mr Redmond the nature of the evidence they would give to the tribunal. He said he hadn't.
Why then did Mr Redmond have Mr Bailey's unlisted telephone number in his papers which were seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau, Mr O'Neill asked. Mr Bailey said he never had an unlisted phone number.