The founder of the Murphy group, Mr Joseph Murphy snr, had never heard of Mr Ray Burke before newspapers reported a payment to him, and he never agreed to the group paying £40,000 to the former minister for foreign affairs. He said this in evidence in Guernsey earlier this month.
Mr Murphy said he had also never heard of Mr George Redmond, the former Dublin city and county manager, until October this year and had learned of the developer Mr Michael Bailey - who purchased the Murphy lands in North county Dublin - only when the tribunal started.
The reading of the transcripts into the record started at 2 p.m. yesterday, after Mr Justice Flood attended the ecumenical service for Mr Jack Lynch.
In the Guernsey hearing Mr Desmond O'Neill SC, for the tribunal, put to Mr Murphy the statement he had given to the tribunal in December 1998, responding to allegations made by Mr James Gogarty.
In the statement, Mr Murphy refers to the allegations made by Mr Gogarty that Mr Burke received £40,000 from JMSE in 1989. Mr Murphy stated that he knew nothing whatever of the meeting with Mr Burke.
"I only learnt of the meeting with Mr Burke in subsequent newspaper reports and would be amazed if Mr Burke stated to Mr Gogarty, as Mr Gogarty alleges he did in his affidavit, that I was well aware that Mr Burke delivered on his commitments." Mr Gogarty had stated that Mr Murphy agreed to the Murphy group paying £40,000 to Mr Burke.
Mr Murphy disputed the suggestion that he told Mr Gogarty that Mr Liam Conroy, the then chief executive of the group, had a good relationship with Mr Redmond. He had never heard of Mr Redmond prior to this October.
"I know nothing of Mr Gogarty's alleged meetings with Mr Redmond," Mr Murphy said in the statement.
After hearing the statement, Mr Murphy confirmed it was accurate. Mr Murphy said he never received a copy of a letter dated June 8th, 1989, from Mr Bailey, setting out proposals for the sale of the lands in North County Dublin, or a covering letter from Mr Gogarty.
Mr Murphy said there was some mention there of Mr Bailey. He had never heard of Mr Bailey. He never in his life had any dealings with him.
Mr Murphy was asked by Mr O'Neill when he first learned of the existence of Mr Bailey. Mr Murphy replied: "When this enquiry started, the tribunal - same with Burke. I never heard of Burke. On no occasions did I hear who Cabinet ministers were."
Mr O'Neill asked him if he knew who the purchaser of the lands was and who was going to be paying the money. Mr Murphy replied that he did not. It was all left entirely to Mr Gogarty.
In his statement, Mr Murphy also denied that he was the moving force behind keeping alive the planning permission for the Forest Road lands. He said Mr Gogarty dealt with that and he had never discussed any extension of planning permission with him.
Mr Murphy denied Mr Gogarty's allegation that there was a "slush fund" operating within the Murphy Group, and said he had never discussed availing of the tax amnesty with Mr Gogarty.
He said that he was wholly unaware that his son, Mr Joseph Murphy junior, had allegedly made threatening phone calls to Mr Gogarty.