Mr Ray Burke has accused RTE of "massaging" and "puffing up" its proposed transmission charges for a commercial national radio station.
He told the Flood tribunal that RTE did not come to the table with its "hands open" when discussing transmission charges with the Department of Communications. "The figures were not based on true costs - they were at that stage massaging figures to come to a bottom line that suited themselves."
Mr Burke said he felt the RTE proposed charge of £247,000 for access to facilities at transmission sites was too much. "This was an asset belonging to the people of Ireland, not to RTE," he said.
Referring to documents by Mr Gerry O'Brien, RTE director of finance, outlining the proposed charges, Mr Burke said Mr O'Brien was doing the best he could for RTE but he was "not beyond massaging the figures".
Mr Patrick Hanratty SC, for the tribunal, pointed out that this was a new situation for RTE and there was no precedent for drawing up such charges.
Mr Burke said the figures put forward were not based on actual costs. In fact, RTE was attempting to get the new station to subsidise its costs, he said.
The tribunal heard that RTE initially sought over £1 million for providing transmission facilities to the new station. Negotiations reduced that figure to £914,000, and then £691,000 by January 10th, 1989. Following a letter from the IRTC seeking lower charges, a lesser charge of £614,000 was agreed. Mr Burke then wrote to the IRTC, suggesting that this charge was "not unreasonable".
However, in March he issued a directive which reduced the charge further.
Mr Burke denied he had told the Century directors he would issue this directive for £375,000.
Mr Hanratty asked if transmission charges were raised with Century director Mr Oliver Barry when he and Mr Burke had dinner in the Dublin restaurant Le Coq Hardi on February 7th. "Could have, probably did," Mr Burke replied.
He said he was "absolutely certain" Mr Barry would have mentioned Century's views on transmission charges.
Asked if this provided an awkward situation for Mr Burke, he said it did not because the occasion had more to do with Century's successful application for the national radio licence. But he said he didn't know "who said what over a bottle of wine".