Former Fianna Fáil Minister Mr Ray Burke has denied
receiving bags filled with money in his Dublin County Council offices in 1986.
Mr Burke was council chairman at the time.
He denied getting money, once in a sports bag and another time in a black plastic bag, from unidentified men when he was chairman of the county council saying: "It simply never happened."
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Mr Ray Burke:
denies allegations |
"The likelihood of a total stranger . . . coming into an office and pulling out a plastic bag full of whatever on my table is incredible," Mr Burke told the tribunal in evidence today.
Mr Burke has also denied berating Mr Jim Geraghty, who made the allegations this morning, for discussing the bags of money with another county councillor because the two incidents never happened.
Mr Burke said Mr Geraghty made these allegations because he had a grudge.
This morning former Dublin county councillor Mr Geraghty told the Flood tribunal that in 1986 he witnessed the delivery of a sports bag filled with money to the office of Mr Ray Burke, the council chairman at the time.
Mr Geraghty, who was a Fianna Fáil councillor in 1986, said an unidentified man entered the chairman's office on an unspecified date in 1986 with a sports bag.
Under questioning from Mr Pat Hanratty SC for the tribunal Mr Geraghty said he left the office but returned because he had forgotten his briefcase. On returning he saw the sports bag open and bundles of cash were inside, the tribunal heard.
He told the tribunal he heard the unidentified man say to Mr Burke there was "sixty" in the bag. Mr Geraghty told the tribunal Mr Burke then dismissed the man, who left the office.
Mr Geraghty then said to Mr Burke: "That is a lot of money", to which Mr Burke replied: "It was a development levy," the tribunal heard.
On another unspecified date in 1986 Mr Geraghty told the tribunal another unidentified man came into Mr Burke's office. He said it was quite normal for people to come in and out of the office.
It was claimed this man, whom Mr Geraghty did not know, was carrying a black plastic bag which he left on the table in Mr Burke's office and said to Mr Burke: "That is what we agreed upon, do you want to check it?"
Mr Burke replied: "No", the tribunal was told.
Mr Hanratty asked Mr Geraghty to describe the contents of the bag, to which Mr Geraghty replied: "It looked to have bundles of money in it but not as much as before."
Mr Geraghty then testified that he had a conversation with another county councillor as to the large sums of money being handled in the County Council offices.
Following this conversation Mr Burke called Mr Geraghty into his office to berate him for discussing the events with somebody else, the tribunal heard.
Mr Geraghty told the tribunal he told Mr Burke he had discussed it with "one of our own people". Mr Geraghty said the more he tried to explain himself the more angry Mr Burke became.
Mr Aidan Walsh SC for Mr Burke put it to Mr Geraghty that Mr Geraghty had a grudge against Mr Burke and that Mr Geraghty had only come forward after seeing an advertisement by Newry Co Down-based solicitors Donnelly, Neary and Donnelly.
The advertisement offered £10,000 for information leading to convictions regarding rezoning offences.
Mr Geraghty denied he had a grudge but said he did come forward after seeing the advertisement. However, he said did not receive any money from the solicitors.
Mr Walsh also questioned Mr Geraghty about the black plastic bag which Mr Geraghty claimed was delivered to Mr Burke's office. Mr Walsh asked was it the truth that Mr Geraghty was unclear as to the contents of the bag.
Mr Geraghty replied: "Yes. All I could see in the bag was a block."