Redmond evidence postponed for appeal

The Mahon tribunal has postponed the evidence of former assistant Dublin city and county manager George Redmond because of the 80-year-old former official's impending appeal against corruption charges.

Judge Alan Mahon said yesterday it wouldn't be appropriate to put Redmond in the witness box in view of his appeal, which is to be heard in the Court of Criminal Appeal on Monday.

The chairman said although Redmond had expressed a preference for giving evidence yesterday, the tribunal had made its decision in his interest. It is now planned that he will give evidence on Tuesday.

Although the decision not to hear his evidence yesterday was the tribunal's, it was Redmond who first voiced concerns about the possible effect of tribunal proceedings on his appeal.

On Thursday, during the cross-examination of property developer Mr John Corcoran, he objected initially when tribunal lawyers sought to quote from the statement he made to the Criminal Assets Bureau when he was arrested in 1999. The statement was made to CAB in its capacity as his inspector of taxes, he said, and was given in return for "promises" regarding his final assessment. The statement would form the "main subject matter" of next week's appeal. However, he later withdrew his objection.

Redmond was jailed for one year last December after a jury in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found him guilty on two related charges of corruption. The former official was found to have received a bribe of £10,000 from garage owner Mr Brendan Fassnidge relating to the sale of a right-of-way by Dublin county council at the Lucan bypass in the late 1980s.

He also faces two further corruption charges, but it is not clear whether the DPP intends to proceed with these.

The tribunal's third interim report, published earlier this year, found that he had received a number of corrupt payments and that he had hindered and obstructed its work.

Redmond is appealing his conviction on several points of legal principle, claiming he should get a fresh trial because new evidence has come to light.

However, the appeal is unlikely to make much difference to the period he will spend in prison. With remission for good behaviour, he is due for release in mid-August.

The Court of Criminal Appeal is unlikely to give a decision in his case before this date.

Last week, he celebrated his 80th birthday in Cloverhill prison, where he has been incarcerated since the trial last November.

Much of his time has been spent working in the prison library, but he has also attended the tribunal in Dublin Castle regularly on temporary release.

Ex-official to seek free legal aid

Redmond is to seek State legal aid on Monday prior to the opening of his appeal against his conviction for corruption, the Court of Criminal Appeal was told yesterday.

A decision on his application is expected before the three-judge court proceeds to hear the appeal itself.

The hearing on Monday will also deal with an application on behalf of Redmond to adduce new evidence relating to the bank account of garage owner Brendan Fassnidge.