The chairman of the tribunal has rejected a claim by Mr Liam Lawlor that he cannot afford to pay his overseas legal advisers to help him co-operate with the tribunal's investigations.
Judge Alan Mahon said Mr Lawlor had received €116,000 in a Dáil severance payment last month and had a TD's pension of €2,800. He was spending about €200,000 a year and had about £50,000 sterling available in an overseas bank account.
Last year, he withdrew more than €300,000 from his account in Gibraltar, it emerged.
Judge Mahon said it was "abundantly clear" that Mr Lawlor had "more than ample funds" to pay the money needed to secure the release of documents sought. If he had done this, the tribunal wouldn't be where it was now.
The chairman said Mr Lawlor had a substantial income by any normal standards and yet it was his evidence that he couldn't afford £20,000 or £30,000 he said was needed to obtain the documents.
On Thursday, Mr Lawlor had estimated his average monthly outgoings at about €2,000 to €3,000.
However, on checking this last night, he revised the estimate upwards, to over €10,000 a month. This didn't include items such as car insurance, household expenses and personal expenses, Judge Mahon pointed out, so the total amount was probably about €12,000 to €13,000 a month. This was four times what Mr Lawlor had estimated.
Mr Lawlor said he had much more pressing crises to deal with. The tribunal would be looking for €600,000 off him for earlier legal costs in High Court proceedings to be heard later this month. He was trying to defend this action. This was a more productive purpose for his money.
He had substantial liabilities in this jurisdiction, and it gave a "completely misleading impression" for the tribunal to say that there was money available to satisfy its demands.
His overseas legal advisers would wipe out £50,000 "in the shake of a lamb's tail," he said. However, it was "unfair and unreasonable" for the tribunal to say he wasn't prepared to pay the money. The permission of other parties would be needed to secure the release of files from Seddons, his solicitors in London and Prague, he indicated.
Asked which parties he was referring to, he named Monarch Properties, Ambrose Kelly and Associates and Cusp Properties in Belfast.
Mr Lawlor invited the tribunal to review the documents he had brought back from Prague.
"Very little of use," retorted tribunal counsel Mr Des O'Neill SC.
"Well, why don't you get on a plane and go and read them," the witness replied.
Judge Gerald Keys reminded Mr Lawlor that the obligation to do this lay with him. All he had to do, said Judge Mahon, was take £10,000 from his offshore account, get on a plane to Prague and come back with the documents. Would he do this, the chairman asked.
"I'll give it every consideration," said Mr Lawlor, to laughter from a packed public gallery.
Earlier, Mr Lawlor admitted using false invoices to receive political donations.
The invoices were made out in the name of a variety of companies and were generated to account for contributions he received.
He likened the practice to the "pick-me-up" system of payments, which he said was very common at the time.
Judge Mary Faherty asked how he recorded that he had an agreement with a person.
Mr Lawlor said he had no reason to keep anything as the matter was terminated once the payment was made.
Asked if he ever sent a receipt, he said no. The invoice was the receipt.
