A print shop employee at a company whose directors included Workers' Party ardcomh airle members "disappeared off the face of the earth" when gardai investigated an alleged currency forgery, the De Rossa libel trial was told.
Counsel for the Sunday Independent, Mr Michael McDowell SC, questioned Mr Proinsias De Rossa about a former Workers' Party member, Mr Brian Lynch, who worked for Repsol, a printing and publishing company at the rear of the party's headquarters at Gardiner Place, Dublin.
Mr McDowell said that in November 1983, gardai began investigating the alleged forgery of £5 notes. Mr De Rossa said gardai visited a number of premises, including Repsol at the headquarters of WP.
Mr De Rossa said he and other members of the ardchomhairle were informed gardai were investigating the alleged forgery and that the inquiry was being co-operated with. He had no contact whatsoever with the gardai about this matter and they did not seek to interview him.
He said one person did not make himself available for interview and was no longer a member of the party. Mr McDowell said Mr Lynch "disappeared off the face of the earth" when gardai were making their inquiries.
Mr De Rossa replied that "you have named a man in court who has not been charged".
Mr De Rossa said he knew Mr Lynch worked in the print shop and that he had been a member of the party, but his membership lapsed. When counsel said he shared a house with a member of the Workers' Party ardchomhairle, Mr Cathal Goulding, Mr De Rossa said he did not know where he lived.
Mr De Rossa said gardai did not contact him in any way about the investigation. When Mr McDowell asked him was he not concerned about the disappearance of Mr Lynch, Mr De Rossa said he was not aware at the time that he was being sought by gardai. It was some time afterwards through gossip that he heard this.
Earlier, he said Repsol directors were members of the WP. It printed pamphlets and booklets at relatively cheap rates. The directors of Repsol held it in trust for the WP. It operated on a non-profit basis. It was in existence when he came to the ardchomhairle.
Asked who were the directors of Repsol, Mr De Rossa said his understanding was that they were Mr Sean Garland, who had become WP general secretary in the late 1970s; Mr Cathal Goulding, Mr Tomas Mac Giolla and Mr Seamus Lynch. In addition to printing, Repsol had imported considerable quantities of books, cultural, artistic and political, from the Soviet Union.
Mr De Rossa said it had not been known to him until it was mentioned during the previous hearing that Repsol owned virtually all the premises. He said he had no influence on the company's affairs.
Mr McDowell asked about Repsol properties in Co Louth. Mr De Rossa said Repsol owned some cabins and cottages at Morning ton, which were used as education centres and weekend retreats where various seminars were held. He was there once for a discussion on local election policy.
Mr McDowell said the Co Louth properties were mortgaged to a company called Rosser in March 1987 to secure a debt. Asked if he was surprised at the decision to mortgage the property, Mr De Rossa said he was not surprised, because the party had financial difficulties and was always trying to roll over loans.
What surprised him was that the title to the properties were owned by Repsol.