Counsel for JMSE stated that Mr James Gogarty had told the tribunal that he did not know what happened to the 760 acres of Murphy land after the meeting with Mr Ray Burke and yet he told Mr Tommy Broughan, the Labour TD, in 1997 that over 50 percent had been rezoned.
Asked why he did not tell the chairman something that he told Mr Broughan, Mr Gogarty said he had been told that and it was hearsay.
Mr Cooney said he was prepared to seek the assistance and support of Mr Broughan on the basis of hearsay.
Mr Gogarty said Mr Broughan "was chasing the fraud and intimidation by your men, by your clients and getting an explanation why they weren't charged [with alleged threatening calls by Mr Joseph Murphy jnr]."
Mr Cooney said he (Mr Gogarty) had moved on to the allegations of bribery and corruption against Mr Burke and his former employers and in order to make a case had deliberately made a false statement to Mr Broughan that 450 acres had been rezoned.
"I reject it was a false statement. I reject that," Mr Gogarty said.
Mr Cooney said Mr Broughan in his statement to the tribunal referred to a meeting he had with Mr Gogarty in September 1997 at which he (Gogarty) produced the June 8th letter from Mr Michael Bailey. He asked if Mr Gogarty had kept the original at least until 1997. Mr Gogarty said that would be correct.
Mr Cooney said that in the same month in 1997 a copy of the letter appeared in Magill magazine. How did it get there? Mr Gogarty said his son could be responsible for leaking it to the magazine.