A Dublin county councillor has described how he received £2,000 in cash from Mr Frank Dunlop wrapped up in a copy of The Irish Times.
Mr Colm McGrath described the money as "an unconditional political donation" from Mr Dunlop but emphatically denied that it was paid in return for his vote on a rezoning motion.
Mr Dunlop has claimed the money was a bribe, paid shortly after a failed attempt to rezone land at Carrickmines in June 1992. Mr McGrath supported the motion.
Yesterday Mr McGrath said Mr Dunlop called to his office in Clondalkin in mid-1992. The two men had a "domestic" conversation for a few minutes before Mr McGrath's phone rang. At this point, Mr Dunlop placed the newspaper on his desk and said: "There's a little something for your election campaign".
It was only when Mr Dunlop had left and he opened the newspaper that he found the cash, the witness said. He believed he had phoned Mr Dunlop to thank him but did not send a receipt.
He acknowledged receiving the money about the time of the Carrickmines vote but said it was "preposterous" to say the two matters were connected.
Asked how he knew it was a political donation, Mr McGrath said he couldn't have construed it as anything else.
Judge Alan Mahon pointed out that the amount of money was substantial even in today's terms. In addition, there was no local election in 1992. Did the witness not make any connection between the vote and the payment of a substantial amount when no election was looming?
"No, and if I had I would have thrown it in his face," Mr McGrath replied. He denied any knowledge of the "system" said by Mr Dunlop to exist, whereby councillors proffered their support for rezoning motions in return for money.
Asked if he had ever asked Mr Dunlop or anyone else for money in return for his vote, he replied: "No, never". Neither had he ever voted for a motion for anyone promising to employ his company.
Mr McGrath denied any whip system operated among Fianna Fáil councillors on the council, as alleged by Mr Dunlop. Members did meet upstairs in Conways pub to agree a consensus on motions, and it was fair to say, by and large, that they voted as a block for development proposals they thought were "beneficial for the community".
Asked if he ever heard of allegations about corruption on the council, Mr McGrath said he had not.
Mr Gallagher reminded the witness of an incident at a council meeting in 1993 in which a Green Party councillor, Mr Trevor Sargent, had waved a cheque he had received from a developer, and asked if anyone else had received money in this way.
Was Mr Sargent not raising the issue of corruption? counsel asked. Mr McGrath said the Green party councillor was "just inquiring if anyone else got a cheque". Mr Sargent was "looking for publicity".
He said he had received "hundreds" of political donations but agreed that he had never waved any of them above his head in the council chamber.
Mr Gallagher also pointed out that in 1993 the minister for the environment, Mr Michael Smith, had criticised the "reckless" approach of Dublin councillors to the review of the county development plan.
The witness said the Minister's comments were not justified. He recalled going to see Mr Smith with other Fianna Fáil councillors. At this meeting the councillors expressed their deep dissatisfaction with the minister's comments, which showed a "poor understanding" of their work.
Mr Smith had acknowledged that his speech was poorly researched and should have been discussed beforehand with councillors, he claimed.
