MR PAUL McGrath said he rejected a suggestion he had approached the tribunal with his statement so he might get publicity in the run-up to the general election.
Responding to Mr Donal O'Donnell SC, for Mr Lowry, he said he could easily have leaked details of his statement before the election and did not do so. He had been urged by some of his colleagues to do so.
Mr McGrath said that during his conversation with Mr Lowry he, Mr Lowry, had indicated that Mr Ben Dunne had not asked Mr Lowry to make the approach.
Mr O'Donnell said Mr Lowry would say Mr McGrath's version of the conversation was "quite a distorted version".
Mr McGrath said he had not, following the conversation, raised the matter officially with Fine Gael and had not mentioned it to his party leader, Mr John Bruton, after Mr Lowry was appointed to cabinet. He had not mentioned the matter officially when Mr Lowry resigned from government. He had not told Mr Bruton when he made his statement to the tribunal.
He had mentioned it casually and had not kept it secret. He agreed with Mr O'Donnell that he had received a letter before the first tribunal sitting asking if he had any relevant information and had not raised the matter then. "Perhaps I didn't read (the letter) carefully enough."
"I still think he (Mr Lowry) was wrong in approaching me." The issue was a local Mullingar matter. Also it would "abhor me to think I would be expected to toe the party line" because Mr Dunne had contributed to the party.
He said he had made his statement on May 13th and 14th. About 10 days earlier, he had contacted the tribunal.
Mr O'Donnell said the significance of early May was that it was immediately preceding the calling of the general election. It was an attempt to turn a "fairly moribund local issue which you were involved in Mullingar" into a national issue.
Mr McGrath said: "Obviously you have never stood for politics or election. If you did, you'd be quite aware that my appearance here today will not in any way enhance my political role within Westmeath." It was quite possible the opposite would be the case. It would reopen a sore and some people would say he was doing the wrong thing.
The tribunal chairman, Mr Justice McCracken, said Mr McGrath's statement to the tribunal was not made public by the tribunal and it was not made public before the general election.
Mr O'Donnell asked Mr McGrath's view of the logic of Mr Lowry mentioning Mr Dunne, in connection with the Mullingar development, when Mr Dunne did not then hold an executive position with Dunnes Stores.
"I've indicated the facts. The logic of it being approached in that manner is something for your client," Mr McGrath said.
He said he had made no comment to the Sunday Times in connection with the story it published last Sunday on his conversation with Mr Lowry.