Members of the cabinet of 1989 are "lying" in their denial of an alleged meeting they had with property developer Mr Tom Gilmartin, the Mahon Tribunal has been told.
Mr Gilmartin said the Minister for Transport Mr Seamus Brennan was lying when he denied seeing Mr Gilmartin at a conference room in Leinster House on February 1st . "He knew me well ... he said 'hello Tom' as I went in," Mr Gilmartin told the tribunal this afternoon.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, who was then labour minister has in a statement to the tribunal said he had no recollection of the meeting. Mr Gilmartin, however, says they were on first-name terms and that Mr Ahern also said "hello Tom" when he entered the room.
Mr Gilmartin said that Mr Padraig Flynn who was then the Minister for the Environment was not telling the truth when he denied knowledge of the meeting. Then communications minister Mr Ray Burke was also incorrect in denying knowledge of the meeting, Mr Gilmartin said.
Mr Gilmartin claims that the meeting took place was backed-up by then education minister Mrs Mary O'Rourke in a statement to the tribunal though she has said she does not recall some of the details.
But Mr Gilmartin described in detail how he went to the meeting at the behest of former Fianna Fail TD Mr Liam Lawlor who had brought him into Leinster House after a meeting at Buswells Hotel across the street. He described how he met Mr Burke and went up on the lift with Mr Lawlor.
He described a "gangway" they walked along before arriving at a lobby with "dark oak" double doors. The meeting took place behind the doors, Mr Gilmartin said. He described the table and where the ministers sat and the then taoiseach, Mr Charles Haughey's arrival in the room.
He gave details of being introduced to Mrs O'Rourke and Mr Haughey by Mr Flynn. He said Mr Haughey greeted him by saying: "I know you. Your the man from Lislary [Co Sligo, where Mr Gilmartin is originally from]". Mr Haughey said he should go to the mansion to meet his son Seán who was Lord Mayor of Dublin at the time.
After leaving the meeting Mr Lawlor and another man were talking in the lobby outside.
A man approached Mr Gilmartin from behind and suggested the builder was going to make millions from his plans to develop shoppng centres in Bachelors Walk in central Dublin and Quarryvale in the west of the city. "Do you realise that you're going to get every assistance in getting these projects of the ground," the man allegedly said.
He then suggested that £5 million should be deposited in a bank account in the Isle of Man and handed over a narrow strip of paper with what appeared to be an account number, Mr Gilmartin claimed.
The Sligo-born builder used colourful language to indicate he would not be complying with the request and walked away. The man followed, grabbed his hand and "warned he could be thrown in the Liffey".
By this time Mr Lawlor and the other person had disappeared. But as Mr Gilmartin walked on he was met on the gangway by the late Sean Walsh TD who warned him that he was "being shafted" and "that he better watch his back". He then mentioned eight councillors Mr Gilmartin guessed were people he should watch out for.
"I didn't know what to make of him ... I thought he was another Greek bearing gifts," Mr Gilmartin said.
He said Mr Lawlor was near the bottom of the lift when he got out but did not acknowledge him.
When asked by Mr John Gallagher SC, for the tribunal, why he did not tell Mr Lawlor or Mr Flynn at subsequent meetings about the threat and demand for money, Mr Gilmartin said "It would be embarrassing to bring that up ... I though the whole place was corrupt".
But he was adamant despite the denials of politicians that the meeting took place. "Bring me a graphic designer and I'll paint the room for you ... and the corridor and the lift," Mr Gilmartin said.