Property developer Tom Gilmartin has told the Mahon tribunal that rival developer Owen O'Callaghan bragged he gave Bertie Ahern two payments totalling £80,000, (€100,000) in 1989 and 1993.
He also alleged that Mr O'Callaghan told him he made payments to Albert Reynolds, Micheál Martin and Ray MacSharry. They have all denied Mr Gilmartin's claims.
Giving evidence yesterday at the planning tribunal's Quarryvale II module, the 72-year-old said Mr O'Callaghan told him, in October 1989, that Mr Ahern was "on his payroll".
"He was bragging about his political connections to me," Mr Gilmartin said. "I mentioned the fact there was one gentleman I trusted and that was Mr Ahern."
Mr Gilmartin said Mr O'Callaghan then told him he had paid Mr Ahern £50,000 to make sure a rival of Mr Gilmartin's did not purchase a piece of council land needed for the Quarryvale development.
He said the payment was made at a football match, possibly the all-Ireland Cork-Meath match, or one of Ireland's international soccer matches. Mr Gilmartin also said Mr O'Callaghan told him of a £30,000 payment to Mr Ahern, some time in 1993.
He said he was at a meeting in the bank and questions were raised about the tax designation of Blanchardstown shopping centre, then being developed by Green Property plc. He said Mr O'Callaghan "guaranteed" that Blanchardstown would not get tax designation.
"I said to him I'm absolutely amazed you could give that absolute, categoric assurance," Mr Gilmartin said. "And he said 'I got the guarantee from the minister for finance', who was then Bertie Ahern as far as I remember. He said 'it cost me £30,000'."
He also began to relate details of a possible third payment to Mr Ahern in connection with the Golden Island development, in Athlone. But tribunal chairman Alan Mahon intervened, saying they should clarify if Mr Ahern was aware of the allegation before proceeding.
Counsel for the tribunal, Pat Quinn, Sc, pointed out evidence to the tribunal from Mr Ahern in which he vehemently denied receiving any payments from Mr O'Callaghan, and called the allegations "ridiculous and fanciful".
Mr Gilmartin said Mr O'Callaghan told him he gave then taoiseach Albert Reynolds £150,000 in relation to the Golden Island development in March 1994. Mr Quinn pointed out that Mr Reynolds had vehemently denied the allegation to the tribunal, describing it as "spurious, unfounded, defamatory and untrue".
Mr Gilmartin claimed that Mr O'Callaghan told him he also paid Micheál Martin "a six figure sum" because he was being groomed to be taoiseach and that Ray MacSharry had called to O'Callaghan's home in Cork and had received money. In statements to the tribunal, Mr Martin and Mr MacSharry denied the allegations. Mr O'Callaghan also denied making the statements.
