The former environment minister Mr Padraig Flynn urged property developer Mr Tom Gilmartin to lie the Mahon Tribunal, it was claimed today.
Mr Gilmartin said Mr Flynn had phoned him at home in early September 1998 asking him to say he had not paid him £50,000. In a second phone call that month, Mr Flynn asked Mr Gilmartin to say the payment had been returned.
Mr Flynn made a similar request in another call that month.
On all occasions Mr Gilmartin refused, saying he would not lie under oath for anyone, the tribunal heard. Mr Gilmartin had not intended to co-operate with the tribunal at the time and said that might be of some comfort to him.
He said he expressed some sympathy for Mr Flynn: "in fairness you're not one of the cuter boys". He defined a "cute boy" for the tribunal as "boys well able to cover their tracks ... who suffer from amnesia and things like that".
After Mr Flynn appeared on the Late, Late Show giving what the developer said was inaccurate account events involving the pair that he changed his mind and decided to testify.
Mr Gilmartin said Mr Flynn who, by that time an EU commissioner based in Brussels, was "highly distressed" during the calls. He was concerned for his political career and said "this could cost me the best part of a million pounds", Mr Gilmartin told Mr John Gallagher SC, for the tribunal.
Mr Gilmartin says he told Mr Flynn: "When I was having trouble you turned your back on me." He also told Mr Flynn he expected the tribunal would be trawling through his [Mr Gilmartin's] bank accounts. "I'm not going to perjure myself for anyone".
However, Mr Flynn wanted to meet Mr Gilmartin in Luton but the developer advised him against travelling because tribunal officials were already in the Bedfordshire town trying to persuade Mr Gilmartin to testify.
Mr Flynn continued to press for a meeting and later sent a fax he had received from the Sunday Independentnewspaper outlining eight questions about the £50,000 cheque, Mr Gilmartin said.
The fax was put before the tribunal and it showed written answers opposite questions. One question asked was: had Mr Flynn received a donation of £50,000 from Mr Gilmartin intended for Fianna Fail party funds. The answer filled in was "No".
Earlier today, a cheque signed by Mr Gilmartin for £50,000 made out to cash and lodged in Mr Flynn's bank account was put before the tribunal. Mr Gilmartin said he had left the payee blank at the request of the Mayo TD. But in another answer on the newspaper questionaire, it was it was indicated that Mr Flynn had not written "cash" in the payee area of the cheque.
A question asking whether favours were sought in exchange for the cheque the answer was again in the negative.
The tribunal continues tomorrow.