Mr Joseph Murphy jnr begins his evidence to the Flood tribunal today against the background of an impending libel case he is taking against the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern, and RTE.
Mr Murphy has issued libel proceedings against Mr Ahern and RTE arising out of remarks made by the ail Minister on the Prime Time programme in May 1998. He claims the remarks mean that he deliberately concealed from Mr Ahern and the Taoiseach the source of the payment made to the former minister for justice, Mr Ray Burke, in 1989.
Mr Murphy, the London-based chairman of the Murphy group, also alleges that the remarks mean that he caused or contributed to a "national scandal" and "a state of political instability in the country" by providing Mr Ahern with allegedly misleading information.
He alleges in his statement of claim to have suffered a "total and almost irreversible damage" to his profession and personal reputation. The case is likely to be heard after Mr Murphy has completed his tribunal evidence.
At the Taoiseach's behest, Mr Ahern met Mr Murphy twice in June 1997 to ask him about allegations that a payment had been made to Mr Burke.
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