Mr George Redmond held regular, separate meetings with Mr James Gogarty and Mr Michael Bailey before, during and after they arranged their controversial sale of Murphy-owned lands in Swords to Mr Bailey, it has emerged.
Mr Redmond's diary for 1988 reveals a far greater level of contact between Mr Redmond and Mr Bailey, and Mr Redmond and Mr Gogarty, during this crucial period, than any of the three men has so far admitted.
The obvious conclusion to be drawn from this - that Mr Redmond had a central role in the sale of the land to Mr Bailey - was rejected by the witness, who said it was wrong to jump to conclusions from a mere "coincidence of dates".
Mr Redmond met Mr Gogarty at least 11 times in 1988, according to extracts from his appointments diary which were presented in evidence to the tribunal yesterday. In his statements, Mr Redmond gave details of only two meetings.
The former assistant Dublin city and county manager met Mr Bailey at least five times during that year, according to the diary. In addition, the diary lists a number of Mr Redmond's appointments in the Westbury Hotel and Clontarf Castle, two venues where Mr Gogarty alleges he met Mr Redmond.
The diary contrasts strongly with Mr Redmond's hazy recollection of the period; again, in evidence yesterday he was unable to throw much light on the nature of his contacts with either man. The tribunal has now issued an order for Mr Redmond's further diaries, although he claimed there is nothing in them.
Mr Gogarty has alleged that Mr Redmond was paid about £15,000 for the advice he gave about relieving the planning difficulties of the Forest Road lands in Swords. However, Mr Redmond says he got £25,000 as a finder's fee for introducing Mr Gogarty to Mr Bailey.
Mr Justice Flood asked why Mr Redmond did not hand back the money he was given. The witness said he was absolutely satisfied that he had done nothing unlawful. "Did you tell anyone of your good fortune?" the chairman asked. Mr Redmond said he did not.
The tribunal has no luck in getting hold of the five statements Mr Redmond has made to the Criminal Assets Bureau. Responding to Mr Justice Flood's request for copies, Mr Anthony Harris, for Mr Redmond, said the tribunal should make an order to this effect, and give notice of this to CAB, the DPP and the Attorney General. This only raises the prospect of further litigation, but in any case Mr Justice Flood said he had no intention of making public the affidavits at this point.
Mr Redmond had little recall, too, of his contacts with Mr Liam Conroy, the former chief executive of the Murphy group, aside from one "social" lunch after which Mr Conroy sent him £2,000. All he remembered was that Mr Conroy was "urbane, suave" and that he and Mr Gogarty were like "chalk and cheese".
Mr Hanratty pointed out that Mr Redmond and the late Mr Conroy were members of the same tennis club (Fitzwilliam), but the witness said he did not go there often and played tennis at another club of which he was a member.
As for the contacts he had with Mr Bailey, Mr Redmond said he talked to the developer in 1987 about some lands the council was trying to offload in Blanchardstown. The lands were sandwiched between two unsettled corporation estates, but Mr Bailey was "young and brash in a way, the sort of person who might have taken a flyer on the land".
Mr Hanratty asked how he could have talked to Mr Bailey about the lands in 1987 when, by his own word, he first met Mr Bailey in the Phoenix Park in 1988.
Mr Redmond replied that perhaps Mr Bailey was correct and the contacts had taken place in 1988.
He also remembered giving advice to Mr Bailey on lands in Balgriffin. This meeting took place in the house of a neighbour of Mr Redmond in Castleknock, Mr Gerard Brady. He said Mr Bailey was a friend of Mr Brady, who runs a motor garage on the Navan Road. There was "nothing sinister" about the meeting and Mr Bailey did not pay him for his advice, he said.
The contrast between Mr Redmond's wobbly performance when asked about his bank accounts or his meetings with Mr Gogarty and his eagerness to discuss arcane and detailed planning matters was immense. The hitherto forgetful witness suddenly bloomed when asked about the niceties of extending the planning permission on the Murphy-owned lands in Forest Road, Swords. "Now that is something I have some expertise on . . ." he began, before launching into chapter and verse on the planning laws.
He could grow tetchy when his "full flow" was interrupted. "Mr Hanratty, your attention please," when he spotted his interrogator in conversation with his colleague, Mr John Gallagher SC. "Mr Gallagher, pay attention to this too please," he demanded.
The day began with the now traditional bout of wrestling between the tribunal and lawyers for the Murphy team, with occasional interventions from Mr Gogarty's lawyers. The row over the discovery of documents from Murphys has been going on for months now, and each session usually ends with earnest assurances from the company's lawyers that whatever the tribunal is looking for is on its way. But days, weeks and months pass, and still the tribunal is left waiting. It is hard not to think that the Murphy side is waiting until the last possible moment before Mr Murphy snr's evidence to provide the tribunal with any possible ammunition.
Mr Justice Flood also outlined the unusual procedure he intends to follow for the taking of Mr Joseph Murphy snr's evidence in Guernsey next week. While lawyers for the tribunal, Mr Murphy and Mr Gogarty will attend, the media will be excluded and will have to rely on a transcript of proceedings for their reports.