Mr Gabriel Grehan said yesterday he may have got the date wrong as to when he knew about a £30,000 payment going out of the company and a similar sum being relodged, when asked about it last year.
Mr Grehan was being asked about an unsigned draft statement that was presented to him by tribunal lawyers after a 1998 interview with him.
Mr Grehan said he had a meeting at his home with tribunal lawyers Mr Pat Hanratty SC and Mr Desmond O'Neill SC on November 30th last. On December 21st, to his surprise, Mr Hanratty presented him with a draft statement. He disputed the contents.
Mr John Gallagher SC, for the tribunal, said it stated that "I was aware that in 1989 it was the intention of Mr Joseph Murphy snr to sell off the development lands held by the company in Ireland".
Mr Grehan said he was not aware of that. Asked if he said to the lawyers that he knew it in 1989, Mr Grehan replied: "I may have inadvertently said 1989."
Mr Gallagher suggested it was 1989 that was the problem. Mr Grehan said it was, as he would not have known.
Mr Grehan disputed a sentence which read: "It was the general understanding in JMSE and my general understanding that moneys had been paid to Ray Burke and that planning permission had been granted in return." He said he had not said that. He would not have known. "It was only in late 1996/97 when I knew of any - of the rumours about payments," he said.
Mr Grehan said he may have incorrectly mentioned Mr John Maher of JMSE in the statement when he meant Mr Frank Reynolds. Mr Reynolds told him in late 1996/97 that £30,000 had left the company and a similar sum was relodged. The statement said he [Mr Reynolds] had told him some months after the transaction but he might have got the dates wrong - the 1989 dates incorrect.
He said he had never told the lawyers, as stated, that an alleged payment to Mr Ray Burke was matched by a similar payment from Bailey/Bovale.
Mr Gallagher said: "But isn't it an extraordinary coincidence that Mary Harney, the Tanaiste, said that she was told by you that the sum of £30,000 paid by JMSE to Ray Burke had been matched by a payment from Bailey/Bovale, and that Mr Hanratty and Mr O'Neill record you as having said the same thing?"
Mr Grehan replied: "It was rumour and hearsay to Ms Harney. I had no first-hand knowledge of that."
He said he then got his own solicitor and drafted his own statement which stated that in late 1996 he became aware of rumours that monies had been paid by JMSE to Mr Burke.