The Court of Criminal Appeal has reserved judgment on an appeal by former assistant Dublin city and county manager George Redmond against his conviction for corruption.
Redmond is serving a 12-month sentence with effect from November 19th last and is expected to be released next month irrespective of the outcome of the appeal.
The appeal centred on new evidence relating to the bank accounts of Dublin garage owner Mr Brendan Fassnidge who has alleged he paid Redmond a £10,000 bribe in relation to the sale in the 1980s by the former Dublin County Council of a right of way at Palmerstown.
Mr Padraic Brennan, manager, Bank of Ireland, Blanchardstown, was called as a witness by Redmond's side.
He produced photocopies of microfilms of Mr Fassnidge's bank accounts for periods in the late 1980s.
None of the cheques displayed in the records related to Redmond, he said.
Mr Brendan Grehan SC, for Redmond, argued that the bank records did not show any withdrawal of £10,000 in cash or by cheque at the relevant period.
At the trial, it was the belief of the prosecution and the defence that there were no bank records available to show one way or another what was alleged in this regard, he said.
It could be said now, with as much certainty as one could put on the records produced, that they showed no such withdrawal was made by Mr Fassnidge.
If that was accepted by the court, it radically altered the situation regarding Redmond's conviction, counsel said. Redmond was arguing that his conviction was unsafe.
The court must look at whether the availability of the accounts might have changed the result of the trial, Mr Grehan said.
Redmond, now aged 80, was jailed for 12 months on December 19th last after being found guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of accepting a £10,000 bribe from Mr Fassnidge.