The estate agent and former Fine Gael trustee, Mr Mark FitzGerald, said he stood over everything in his statement to the tribunal and everything he had said in evidence.
He did not accept the suggestion from counsel for Mr Michael Lowry that the former minister had not sought to interfere with a "quasi-judicial" arbitration process.
Mr Lowry's counsel, Mr Roderic O'Hanlon SC, said it was "inconceivable" that Mr Lowry would seek to do what Mr FitzGerald had outlined.
Mr FitzGerald said that when Mr Lowry initiated a conversation about the office block, Marlborough House, Dublin, and about Mr Ben Dunne, who owned the block, wanting the rent increased from £5 a square foot to £10 a square foot, he may not have known that the matter had gone to arbitration.
Mr FitzGerald said that "in fairness to Mr Lowry" he might not have known, until told by Mr FitzGerald, that the matter was the subject of arbitration and he may not have understood until then what that entailed. He explained that it was a "quasi-judicial" function.
When Mr Lowry saw that Mr FitzGerald was not engaging in the conversation, Mr FitzGerald said, the former minister went on to ask what the party was going to do, as Mr Dunne had contributed £170,000 to it. He said that a short time later, on April 6th, 1995, Mr Lowry contacted him and asked him to personally accompany him to view a house being sold through Sherry FitzGerald.
Mr FitzGerald did so even though it was not his usual practice.
Coming back from the viewing in Mr FitzGerald's car, Mr Lowry again raised the issue of Marlborough House.
He said that at this point Mr Lowry had obviously had time to reflect on the fact that Mr Gordon Gill, of Sherry FitzGerald, was involved as an arbitrator, and on what that entailed.
Mr FitzGerald said he refused to discuss the issue with Mr Lowry.
"I was exceptionally emphatic about what I said to Mr Lowry. If you want I can go into greater detail." Mr O'Hanlon did not take up the offer.
Mr O'Hanlon said nothing in Mr Dunne's statement of intended evidence suggested that he was seeking a rent increase to £10.
Mr Dunne had sought an increase from the arbitrator to £8.50 a square foot from £5 a square foot. Mr FitzGerald said he could not go behind what was behind Mr Lowry's approach to him.
When Mr O'Hanlon put it to the witness that Mr Lowry's version of events was correct and that the then minister was simply inquiring if the process could be speeded up, Mr FitzGerald said he rejected that completely.
"I have nothing further to add to what I have said already, which is unequivocal." He told Mr Justice Moriarty that he had grown up close to where Mr Denis O'Brien grew up and that although he had known of Mr O'Brien they were not friends. He also said there had been no falling out between him and Mr O'Brien or Mr Lowry that had not been aired in the tribunal.
Mr FitzGerald had separate legal representation to Fine Gael, which was also represented at yesterday's hearing and at Wednesday's hearing.
