Lawyers accused of being `worse than criminals'

Mr Gogarty, the tribunal's chief witness, yesterday accused lawyers for Bovale Developments of being "worse than bloody criminals".

After a heated exchange with Mr Colm Allen SC, for the Baileys and Bovale Developments, over an alleged meeting between Mr Gogarty and the Baileys in his home in Clontarf in either 1996 or 1997, Mr Gogarty demanded that the Baileys be brought in and put on oath.

In response, Mr Allen said the Baileys would give their evidence "in due course".

However, Mr Gogarty declared: "I am the only one who put in a sworn statement here. Your clients haven't the guts to do it. Bring them in, bring them in. What's stopping you? Only obstruction of the truth."

After he was reminded by Mr Justice Flood that the order of witnesses was not his to determine, he continued: "Look what I am going through with the crowd of them and their solicitors as well." Waving towards the legal teams, he said they were "worse than bloody criminals . . . It will all come out."

After a request from Mr Justice Flood to restrain his language, Mr Gogarty said: "I am under difficult circumstances. Solicitors over there; solicitors, they should be investigated. Pass them on to the DPP . . .

Earlier, Mr Gogarty had read from a transcript of his evidence in which he had claimed that Mr Joe Murphy snr had told him that Mr Michael Bailey had a good relationship with the former assistant city and county manager Mr George Redmond. "He is not the only one who had a good relationship with George Redmond."

Mr Gogarty also criticised Mr Allen for interrupting him as he read a document. Following a question during cross-examination, he said: "Would you stop interrupting me, I am in a flow of words."