Tribunal says Lawlor used solicitor to 'shelter' money

Former Fianna Fáil TD Mr Liam Lawlor used his solicitor's firm to "shelter" a payment he received from a Dublin property developer, the Mahon tribunal heard today.

Counsel for the tribunal made the assertion this morning during evidence by Mr Lawlor's solicitor in London and Prague, Mr Tony Seddon.

Mr Seddon told the tribunal that he wrote the name of his firm on a £100,000 cheque paid to the former Fianna Fáil TD by Mr Michael Whelan, a Dublin property developer.

Surely the most memorable thing about the cheque, along with its name, was its size and the fact that it was blank? Mr Des O'Neill, SC for the Mahon tribunal

Earlier this year the tribunal heard that Mr Lawlor had received an "under-the-counter payment" of £100,000 from Mr Whelan following the sale of one acre of land adjacent to his home, Somerton House, in Lucan.

Mr Seddon said he wrote "Seddon's Solicitors client account" on the cheque from Mr Whelan, at Mr Lawlor's instruction. The "made payable to" section of the cheque had been left blank.

The solicitor said the blank cheque had been handed or sent to him - he couldn't remember which, he said - on September 7th, 2001. Asked by Mr Des O'Neill, SC for the tribunal, what explanation Mr Lawlor provided for handing him a blank cheque, Mr Seddon replied: "I don't recollect."

"If he didn't give you an explanation I presume you asked for one?" inquired Mr O'Neill. Mr Seddon replied that he did not recollect. Asked why Mr Lawlor's name was not written in as a recipient, Mr Seddon again replied: "I don't recollect".

"Surely the most memorable thing about the cheque, along with its name, was its size and the fact that it was blank?" asked Mr O'Neill.

In response, Mr Seddon said it was clearly paid for the benefit of Mr Lawlor. Mr O'Neill said this was only clear in the internal workings of Seddons. He suggested to Mr Seddon that Mr Lawlor was "sheltering" money in this account.

Mr Seddon replied that the tribunal was "looking at things in hindsight".

At the tribunal's suggestion of "sheltering money", Mr Lawlor, who was sitting in the public gallery, expressed a barely audible word of apparent dissent.

Mr Seddon went on to say that Mr Lawlor paid the £100,000 into Seddon's client account because he wanted to use the funds for property dealings he was running through his Prague company Zatecka, which also had a client account with Seddons.

The tribunal heard that Mr Lawlor drew down two payments of £15,000 from Zatecka. The tribunal also heard how Zatecka paid £57,000 to another company controlled by Mr Lawlor, Demographic and Strategic Consultants, which had an Ulster Bank account in Dublin.

This transfer of funds was referred to by Mr O'Neill as a "circular transaction in which Mr Lawlor represents the principal at every stage".

Mr Seddon is central to the investigation of the former West Dublin TD's financial affairs. During ten days of evidence to the tribunal in July this year Mr Lawlor claimed he could not comply with the orders of the tribunal because he could not afford the €10,000 in legal fees requested by Seddons.