Lawlor accuses tribunal of 'sexing up' investigation into his affairs

Mahon tribunal: The former Fianna Fáil TD, Mr Liam Lawlor, has accused the tribunal of "sexing up" its investigation into his affairs by relying on old, incomplete and inaccurate information.

Mr Lawlor said the tribunal's repeated attempts to impute his "guilt by association" were "breathtaking".

He described the opening statement by the tribunal counsel, Mr Des O'Neill SC, as "wholly unsatisfactory, totally biased, with no basis in fact and adversarial". It contained "nothing new".

He also criticised The Irish Times for carrying the front page headline "Lawlor in secret land deals, say lawyers for tribunal" in yesterday's edition.

Mr Lawlor said he knew of no secret deals. It was "absolutely outrageous" that such a headline should appear in an authoritative newspaper. It showed that the research of the journalist concerned, whom he described as the tribunal's "journalistic spokesman", was like that of the tribunal, "wholly inadequate".

It was unacceptable that he should have to wait six months to respond to the claims made by the tribunal.

Referring to a claim that Redmond had supplied information to Mr Jim Kennedy about the council's plans to develop the Carrickmines Valley, Mr Lawlor said this suggestion of "insider information" showed a complete lack of research by the tribunal.

Plans to lay sewers in the area dated back to the 1970s and the information was available from the files of the Department of the Environment, he said. By its selective inclusion of information, the tribunal was showing "bias and vindictiveness".

He said the tribunal had quoted an assertion by Mr Frank Dunlop that Mr Lawlor was involved in the ownership of the Carrickmines lands, but did not quote other references by Mr Dunlop and by councillors to the effect that he wasn't an owner of the land.

One of Mr Kennedy's former employees, Mr Jude Campion, is to tell the tribunal that Mr Kennedy, Mr Lawlor and Redmond met regularly at Mr Kennedy's amusement arcade to discuss land deals.

However, Mr Lawlor yesterday claimed Mr Campion had "grievances and vendettas". Mr Campion had been sacked from the arcade and his father had unsuccessfully tried to develop a filling station in Coolmine.

Mr Lawlor said he never met Redmond in the amusement arcade on Westmoreland Street. He never had any dealings with Redmond in relation to Mr Kennedy. His only dealings with Redmond were in relation to the latter's official capacity, when he made representations as a councillor.

He said his lawyers in London, Isidore Goldman, had done everything possible to help him provide documents to the tribunal and had passed on everything in its possession. It was "absolutely outrageous" for Mr O'Neill to suggest, without any backing or qualification, that the firm was knowingly withholding information from the tribunal.

Mr O'Neill said the tribunal had responded to all Mr Lawlor's requests for information. Mr Lawlor might be unhappy or dissatisfied with the tribunal's responses, but that was another matter.

Counsel said he didn't intend to comment on the remarks made by Mr Lawlor. The facts would come out "at the end of the day".