The Dublin West TD, Mr Liam Lawlor, will be under the spotlight again today when contempt proceedings against him open in the High Court. The process could result in his being jailed for failing to co-operate with the Flood tribunal.
Proceedings against Mr Lawlor were initiated by counsel for the Flood tribunal last month after its chairman, Mr Justice Flood, stood Mr Lawlor down as a witness.
Mr Justice Flood said it was clear to him that Mr Lawlor had failed to comply with a High Court order requiring him to provide the tribunal with various documents and records within a stipulated timescale. The order was made by Mr Justice Smyth in the High Court on October 24th and upheld on appeal by Mr Lawlor to the Supreme Court.
Matters came to a head on December 15th when Mr Justice Flood asked Mr Lawlor to leave the witness-box and referred the matter to the High Court, after he refused to answer questions about any credit cards he might have.
One Visa card account had been found in discovery made by the National Irish Bank and Mr Lawlor was asked several times if he had others. He repeated that he did not see this as relevant to the tribunal. "What has it to do with planning in Co Dublin?" he asked.
Mr Justice Flood said he did not believe he could further advance the inquiry until there had been a compliance with the orders of the High Court.
Tribunal lawyers are now seeking Mr Lawlor's committal for breaching this order. Mr Justice Smyth will be asked today to rule on Mr Lawlor's alleged failure to co-operate. The case is listed for hearing at noon in High Court number 12.
Papers from the tribunal served on Mr Lawlor are understood to fill at least 10 files.
Legal sources say the purpose of a committal order is not punishment but a legal instrument to force a person "to do what they should be doing". However, if found in breach of the High Court order, Mr Lawlor would be in contempt of court and could face jail until he purged himself of that con tempt.
Mr Lawlor has spent four days in the witness-box. It has emerged that £4.6 million was lodged to 18 bank accounts in his name since 1983 and the source of £2.6 million of it was "unexplained".
Meanwhile, the Flood tribunal, which was established in October 1997 to investigate the planning history of 726 acres of land in north Co Dublin and was later empowered to investigate all allegedly improper payments made to politicians in connection with the planning process, is due to sit again next Thursday.