A man claiming to be a garda investigating corruption told Mr Tom Gilmartin to "go back where you came from" because gardaí were "sick and tired" of his allegations, the developer has told the tribunal. Paul Cullen reports.
Mr Gilmartin said this phone-call to his home in Luton in March 1989 led him to decide not to make a statement to the Garda investigation into planning corruption that was under way at the time.
He said a man who identified himself as "Garda Burns" phoned him to say the gardaí had heard "all these false allegations before". After thorough investigation, the people under investigation had emerged with their names "unsullied".
The man said gardaí were "sick and tired of people like me making such allegations," Mr Gilmartin told the tribunal.
"The best thing was for me to go back where I came from and not to be making allegations," the man told him.
He conceded that the call could have been "a stunt" but added that the man quoted from a conversation he had with Chief Supt Hugh Sreenan, who was leading the Garda investigation, some days earlier.
Mr Gilmartin said this call discouraged him from co-operating with gardaí.
He came to the conclusion that "I would be going to law with the devil and the court in hell together".
Supt Thomas Burns, who worked on the Garda investigation, has told the tribunal he never talked on the phone to Mr Gilmartin.
Earlier, Mr Gilmartin said he told a number of politicians about the demands being made on him at this time, including the £5 million sought by an unidentified man outside a meeting he says he had with Fianna Fáil ministers in Leinster House in February 1989.
He said he phoned former government minister and fellow Sligo man, Mr Ray MacSharry, in Brussels, and relayed what had happened.
He described the reaction of Mr MacSharry, who was by then Ireland's EU Commissioner, as "non-committal".
The call ended abruptly when the politician "seemed to suggest he was a bit busy" when told about the £5 million demand. Mr MacSharry has denied ever meeting the developer.
Mr Gilmartin also claims that he told Fianna Fáil senator Mr Willie Farrell about the demand for money a few days after it happened. He knew Mr Farrell, who was from his part of Co Sligo, from childhood days.
They met in the politician's office in Leinster House.
He said Senator Farrell was concerned that someone would overhear and suggested they meet later in a nearby hotel. When they did, he repeated his story. Mr Farrell was again concerned about being overheard and they moved up to his room.
Mr Farrell suggested he meet Dublin councillor Mr Sean Gilbride, and brought him to see Mr Gilbride the following day.
Mr Gilbride assured him that Mr Liam Lawlor was all right so long as he was handled "the right way", he said.
Mr Farrell has told the tribunal he doesn't recall Mr Gilmartin telling him about any demand. He says the developer told him he was being "messed about" by corporation planners.
Mr Gilmartin said this wasn't true. He hadn't had any contact with corporation planners. Mr Gilbride says his only contact with Mr Gilmartin was about Quarryvale.