A solicitor for Mr George Redmond claimed yesterday that Mr James Gogarty sacked the auctioneers dealing with the sale of Murphy lands and that he had a bias towards Mr Michael Bailey, who ultimately bought the lands.
Mr Anthony Harris, solicitor for Mr Redmond, the former assistant Dublin city and county manager, said his client said money he received was for assisting with the sale of the property.
Mr Harris quoted a statement from the Murphy company solicitor, Mr Denis McArdle, which dealt with correspondence between Mr Gogarty and the auctioneers, Hamilton Osborne King, who claimed the exclusive right to negotiate the sale of the property.
Mr McArdle said he drafted a reply in July 1988 which stated that the land had been owned by the Murphy group since 1966, 22 years previously. It stated that he was contemplating withdrawing it from the market because it would not bother them if it was not sold until 22 years hence.
In his statement, Mr McArdle said other correspondence between the auctioneers and Mr Gogarty concerned an offer of £1.45 million received from Orlynn Homes Ltd. He received instructions from Mr Roger Copsey on August 3rd, 1988, and his attendance notes stated "bias to Bailey", which meant Mr Gogarty had a preference to deal with Mr Bailey.
Mr Harris said Mr Redmond said he received money in Clontarf Castle and that was paid to him by Mr Gogarty and Mr Gogarty alone and it was a finder's fee for introducing Mr Michael Bailey to Mr Gogarty.
"Now Mr Gogarty has an entirely different version of events and what I am saying is a lot of the evidence that is here is in relation to Mr Gogarty sacking the auctioneers, having a bias towards Bailey, ultimately accepting a figure which was the equal of £1.45 million which Hamilton Osborne King's client had on offer, less the amount of financial contribution which Murphy had paid.
"The figure that was paid by the Baileys was less than £1.45 million . . . I think it's important in relation to the evidence that Mr Gogarty has already given in relation to the sale of this property because my client says that the monies he received was for assisting with the sale of the property," he said.
He asked Mr Gogarty if Hamilton Osborne King ultimately wrote to him on July 27th, 1988, telling him that they had an offer of £1.45 million.
"I don't give a damn what they wrote to me. I didn't own them lands. I had nothing to do with them lands," Mr Gogarty said.
Mr Harris asked if he was not involved in the sale. Mr Gogarty said he was only acting for Mr Murphy snr.
Mr Harris said he (Mr Gogarty) told Maeve Sheehan (a Sunday Times journalist) that he paid Mr Redmond £25,000. "I told her no such thing," Mr Gogarty said.
When asked if he wanted indemnity against libel concerning the Sunday Times, he said yes, certainly, and what was wrong with that. When Mr Gogarty continued the chairman intervened.
Mr Gogarty replied: "I am ready to go to Mountjoy if you put me in it. I don't give a damn."