The former Century director, Mr Oliver Barry, told his solicitor over lunch in June 1989 that he had made a payment of £35,000 to Mr Ray Burke, the tribunal heard yesterday.
Mr Enda Marren, former solicitor to Mr Barry, said his understanding was that Mr Barry had made the payment personally. He said he had known Mr Barry and Mr Burke were long-time friends.
The tribunal was told previously that Mr Barry had made the payment of £35,000 in cash and it was handed in a briefcase to Mr Burke in his office in May 1989.
Mr Desmond O'Neill SC, for the tribunal, said the date of the general election was June 15th, 1989. Mr Marren said it was his recollection the conversation took place during the time of the general election.
"I think he just happened to tell me over lunch," Mr Marren said.
"My understanding was that he said `I've given £35,000' and my understanding was that it was a personal contribution," Mr Marren said.
Mr O'Neill said at the time Century was engaged in negotiations over the terms of the contract with the Independent Radio and Television Commission (IRTC) and RTE.
Mr Marren said he knew about the IRTC but not about RTE.
Mr O'Neill said when Mr Barry told him about the payment, it was against the background of Century being in the middle of negotiations about the contract and the minister had intervened at least once.
"I was never conscious in the negotiations of the contract that Mr Burke had got anything to do with it," Mr Marren said.
He said he did not think Mr Barry ever told him that he (Mr Barry) would recoup the money from the assets of the company. "I wouldn't have been aware at the time of what he was doing."
Asked if Mr Barry ever gave a reason why he never requested a receipt from Mr Burke, Mr Marren said: "The question of a receipt never arose. He told me he paid in cash."
He said Mr Barry told him he made the payment in the minister's office. He did not ask Mr Barry why it had been made in cash.
Earlier, Mr Marren was asked about Mr John Mulhern, who was an equal investor in Century with Mr Barry and Mr John Stafford. He said he believed he never knew what Mr Mulhern's involvement was until Century went into liquidation. Then he was told by Mr Barry.
He first met Mr Mulhern with Mr Barry in November 1987 when they discussed the possibility of a radio business. After that, probably in 1988, he met Mr Mulhern socially and asked about the radio licence application. "My recollection is I got a very curt dismissal that `I'm not involved in that any more'."