The High Court was told yesterday it appeared Mr Liam Lawlor was involved with beef baron Mr Larry Goodman in the purchase of lands in Lucan, Co Dublin, which was funded by means of an advance of £350,000 by Mr Goodman to Mr Lawlor.
The advance was on terms that the parties would share the proceeds of a later transaction involving the onward sale of lands for development, Ms Maire Anne Howard, solicitor for the tribunal, said.
Yesterday was the second day of the hearing by Mr Justice Smyth of complaints by the tribunal that Mr Lawlor has still not met his obligations to the tribunal by supplying it with all the financial documentation it is seeking from him. Mr Lawlor claims he has complied fully with his obligations.
In Ms Howard's 63-page affidavit, she said Mr Lawlor had given evidence to the tribunal about a sum in excess of £203,000 which had been debited to the account of his company, Advance Proteins Ltd, in November 1987.
Mr Lawlor's evidence was that this was a repayment of a loan advanced to him by the Goodman Group for the purpose of developing research into animal proteins; that the project had not proceeded; and that this debit represented a cheque payment by him for the repayment of the loan. When it was pointed out to him by the tribunal that the recipient was Binchys, solicitors, Mr Lawlor stated that Binchys were acting for Mr Goodman.
Ms Howard said Mr Lawlor was examined about a draft of £203,125 paid from a savings account of Advanced Protein Ltd. Mr Lawlor gave evidence this happened on December 10th, 1987, and that the money was probably returned to the Goodman Group on foot of a loan advanced to him by that organisation. There were no documents relating to that loan in Mr Lawlor's discovery.
When it was put to Mr Lawlor the draft was made out to Binchys solicitors and not the Goodman Group, he said his recollection was he paid the money through Binchys solicitors.
Ms Howard said she believed the sum was received by Binchys in connection with the purchase by an Isle of Man company, Navona Ltd, of 55 acres at Coolamber, Lucan, located opposite Mr Lawlor's home on Newcastle Road. Binchys had acted for Navona Ltd in the purchase of those lands by tender.
There was no documentation whatsoever in folders produced by Mr Lawlor in discovery in relation to those matters. While he had given documents relating to his involvement with Mr Goodman and companies owned or controlled by him, none of those related to the Coolamber dealings and one would not learn from those documents of any land-related transactions involving Mr Lawlor and Mr Goodman.
In his replying affidavit, Mr Lawlor said he had no knowledge of Navone Ltd. When he was involved in Advanced Protein Ltd in the late 1980s, monies were advance by Goodman Group. He was also, at the time, a non-executive director of Food Industries plc.
Goodman Group requested Advanced Protein forward £203,125.61, being part of the money which had been sent to it by Goodman Group to Binchys, solicitors, who at the time were acting for both Advanced Protein and Goodman Group.
Mr Lawlor said he sent, as requested, the draft to Binchys, solicitors, who were receiving it on behalf of Goodman Group. He was not involved in that money following its delivery to Binchys.
At this time, Mr Lawlor said, he had represented to Mr Larry Goodman the existence of a potential property opportunity in relation to lands adjoining Mr Lawlor's house.
He understood those lands were subsequently purchased. At the time the lands were not zoned and ultimately Goodman Group disposed of the lands before they were zoned. The lands subsequently were developed and were now Finntown housing estate.
At all times his involvement in relation to the Finntown land was primarily as an adjoining land owner who recognised the potential for those lands. He, in light of his working relationship with Mr Goodman, recommended the lands to him. It was at all times up to Mr Goodman to decide whether to purchase the lands or otherwise. He was not involved in the purchase or ownership, nor did he have any interest in the lands.