Former party colleagues differ on Baghdad trip

The Fianna Fáil TD Mr Ned O'Keeffe has clashed with his former colleague Mr Liam Lawlor over a parliamentary visit they made to Iraq in 1988.

Mr O'Keeffe told the tribunal yesterday that Mr Lawlor "monopolised" the visit to Baghdad and took the official car, leaving himself and a fellow TD, Mr Tom Kitt, to get around the city "by Shanks's mare".

The TDs travelled to Iraq to attend the International Babylon Festival, but Mr O'Keeffe claimed Mr Lawlor wasn't to be seen for 90 per cent of the time.

Mr Lawlor, representing himself, responded that Mr O'Keeffe had missed early-morning meetings with the Iraqis because he hadn't got up early enough.

He asked what benefit it was to a Muslim country to do business with a pig farmer.

Judge Alan Mahon intervened to say that Mr O'Keeffe, who owns a pig-farming business, didn't have to respond to this question.

Mr O'Keeffe was called to give evidence about meeting Mr Tom Gilmartin along with Mr Lawlor at Heathrow Airport in October 1988, en route to Baghdad.

He said he was with Mr Lawlor in the hotel at Heathrow, when Mr Gilmartin "casually" walked in. He had no knowledge of who Mr Gilmartin was "or the ground he walked upon". The developer joined the politicians for something to eat.

Mr Gilmartin has given evidence that he made a payment of £3,500 to Mr Lawlor on this occasion, as part of a consultancy agreement between the TD and Mr Gilmartin's business partners, Arlington Securities.

However, Mr O'Keeffe said yesterday no payment was made to Mr Lawlor in his presence. He said he wasn't aware that Mr Lawlor was receiving money from Arlington through Mr Gilmartin.

Mr O'Keeffe said he was anxious to get away, so he paid the bill and left. They were travelling to Iraq the following morning and would be flying low over the region, so he was nervous.

Mr Lawlor said the first time he had visited Baghdad he travelled with the then minister for health, Mr Charles Haughey, as part of a medical delegation. By the time of his visit with Mr O'Keeffe, the Irish medical recruitment company, PARC, was employing 300 Irish staff in Baghdad. The Irish embassy had asked the TDs to "show cause" with them by visiting their operation.

Asked if he had attended this meeting, Mr O'Keeffe said he could have missed some meetings because they had no transport.

Mr Lawlor said the reason Mr O'Keeffe missed the meeting was because he didn't get up early enough.

Mr O'Keeffe said Mr Lawlor wasn't available to his colleagues 90 per cent of the time. He was going "around town" seeking payments for the Irish textile industry.

Mr Lawlor said he went at the request of the Irish Embassy to a meeting in the Iraqi ministry of finance to seek the payment of debts owed to two Irish textile companies.

As a result of his intervention, both companies were paid.