McGowan withheld information, Flood told

Builder Mr Joseph McGowan has been accused of deliberately withholding information from the Flood tribunal relating to payments he made to former Fianna Fáil minister Mr Ray Burke.

It was not for the purpose of concealment, we didn’t think it was necessary at the time Builder Mr Joseph McGowan

The tribunal has discovered builders Mr McGowan and Mr Brennan made payments totalling £125,000 to Mr Burke from three Jersey-based companies between 1982 and 1985.

However, counsel for the tribunal Ms Patricia Dillon SC today accused Mr McGowan of withholding information about the firms from his solicitor and from the tribunal between the February 14th and March 13th this year. She said the purpose of which was to conceal payments made by him and Mr Tom Brennan to Mr Burke.

Mr McGowan denied the accusation saying: "It was not for the purpose of concealment, we didn’t think it was necessary at the time".

Ms Dillon put it to Mr McGowan that he only furnished the information regarding the Jersey firms to his solicitor and the tribunal, once the tribunal had established the connection.

She accused Mr McGowan of sending his solicitor on a "wild goose chase" for information in Ireland when all the time he knew the companies involved were registered in Jersey.

Mr McGowan rejected the assertion, repeating that there was no attempt to conceal or to hide information.

Ms Dillon accused Mr McGowan of deliberately attempting to prevent the tribunal finding out about these payments. Mr McGowan said: "I had no recollection at that time".

She asked him if he thought information about the payments would have come to light if tribunal had not independently established their existence. Mr McGowan said he did not know.

Earlier the tribunal heard how Mr McGowan received the tape-recorded transcript of a telephone call made by the tribunal to a firm of accountants in England seeking information about fundraising activities carried out by Mr McGowan on behalf of Mr Burke/Fianna Fáil.

Ms Dillon said this allowed Mr McGowan detailed knowledge of the tribunal’s line of inquiry. She asked Mr McGowan, was it normal for a company to tape its telephone calls. Mr McGowan replied he did not know but that he had a close relationship with the firm.

The tribunal continues.