Gilmartin told firm to stop paying Lawlor

An English property company continued to make substantial payments to Mr Liam Lawlor after its Irish partner, Mr Tom Gilmartin, advised it to stop giving him money.

Arlington Securities paid the former Fianna Fáil TD almost £60,000 in payments in 1989 arising from his involvement in plans to develop a shopping centre at Bachelor's Walk, according to evidence presented to the tribunal yesterday.

But according to Mr Gilmartin, the politician's only role in the Bachelor's Walk scheme was to "screw" money out of the promoters. "I couldn't see what role he could play in the scheme, other than as a hustler." He said Mr Lawlor had no input in acquiring the properties on the site or in negotiations with CIÉ, which planned to build a bus station on the roof. Most properties had already been acquired. The only other possibility was that Mr Lawlor might have some "political clout".

Mr Gilmartin began making monthly payments of £3,500 to the politician in June 1988, but he says he did this on the request of Arlington, who later repaid him the money. He made the first payment by cheque, having been met by Mr Lawlor as he arrived from England at Dublin airport.

Mr Gilmartin said he didn't seek a receipt because he had the cheque stub. Mr Lawlor asked him to leave the payee blank; the tribunal has established that the money was lodged to the account of one of Mr Lawlor's companies, Advanced Proteins.

Later that year, the politician addressed a conference organised by Arlington in London. The speech by "Liam A. Lawlor MP" was on the theme of "Dublin - A City of Opportunity".

Mr Lawlor also supplied Arlington with copies of various reports, including the Census, Central Bank and ESRI publications. However, Mr Gilmartin said these were readily available and this was just "window-dressing".

Another payment was made in Heathrow Airport, through which Mr Lawlor was passing on his way to Baghdad, he said. The politician was in the company of another TD, Mr Ned O'Keeffe.

At the mention of Mr Lawlor travelling to Iraq, the crowded public gallery burst into laughter. The chairman, Judge Alan Mahon, reminded the gallery that the evidence was a serious matter and he asked them to refrain from laughing.

Mr O'Keeffe has told the tribunal he was in Heathrow in November 1988 with Mr Lawlor when they were joined by the developer. The conversation consisted of "small talk".

Mr Lawlor will tell the tribunal his involvement with Arlington came about "by arrangement and by invitation". Mr Gilmartin claims the TD barged into a meeting he had with Arlington executives in London, uninvited.

The £3,500 monthly payments continued until March 1989, the witness said. In that month, Mr Lawlor went to his bank branch in Blanchardstown and tried to make a withdrawal of £10,000. The manager contacted Mr Gilmartin, who blocked the payment from his account.

"I said: 'No way. From now on, he gets no more. He's finished and Arlington can pay him if they want'." Mr Gilmartin said he understood at the time that Arlington had taken him "at his word" and ceased the payments.

However, Mr John Gallagher revealed that Arlington continued to make monthly payments to Mr Lawlor, as well as a cheque for £33,000 sterling (IR£39,100) in April 1989.

Mr Gilmartin said he had no knowledge of this. "Arlington was aware I would not tolerate it. They could have Mr Lawlor and I would bow out." Asked why the company would have continued making payments, the witness said Mr Lawlor must have removed some roadblock or other. "Usually, he put the roadblocks up himself."