Traynor "denied he knew of payments"

THE late Mr Des Traynor denied any knowledge of payments by Mr Duane to Mr Haughey, Mrs Heffernan told the tribunal.

THE late Mr Des Traynor denied any knowledge of payments by Mr Duane to Mr Haughey, Mrs Heffernan told the tribunal.

She said she arranged a meeting with him as part of her efforts to trace the money. The meeting took place about a week after her first meeting with Mr Haughey.

She was aware he looked after Mr Haughey's affairs, and she arranged the meeting in his office at the headquarters of Cement Roadstone.

Asked by Mr Denis McCullough SC, for the tribunal, about the meeting she said: "I find this difficult because Mr Traynor is not with us any more. I can't remember how I phrased it but I certainly told him I had been told Mr Haughey had been given money by my brother. I asked him if he knew my brother. He said he did not."

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Referring to whether Mr Traynor had any knowledge of the reputed payments, she said: "I find this very difficult. Mr Traynor totally denied it. I said to him that my brother, Ben, had given Haughey £1 million. I asked him did he know anything about this. He said he knew absolutely nothing about it." Asked what she thought then, she said: "I was very confused. I suppose I was looking for someone to tell me it wasn't true. I would prefer to think someone didn't get £1 million of Dunnes Stores money. I still feel that way, sir."