John Traynor, the convicted criminal who has been sought by gardai investigating the murder of Veronica Guerin, wants to do a deal with the Criminal Assets Bureau over a tax bill for more than £440,000, a Dublin court has been told.
Yesterday, the High Court heard that a known associate of Traynor, Mr Sean Fitzgerald, had made contact last month with the bureau on Traynor's behalf, seeking a settlement of the "financial issues" raised by the tax demand.
The court also heard evidence that the bureau believes one of Traynor's daughters, Carol, had visited her father abroad.
The court decided that Traynor, who is believed now to be in the Netherlands, knew about the tax bill.
Adjourning the proceedings brought by the bureau to have the money paid, the judge advised Ms Traynor to seek legal advice and make contact with her father as the matter was now quite serious.
Counsel for the bureau said that last July the court had ordered that a summons seeking £443,000 (representing two years assessment of income tax and interest) could be served on John Traynor by pre-paid post to an address at Glenvara Park, Templeogue, Dublin.
An affidavit by an officer of the Criminal Assets Bureau (who cannot be legally named) was read in court. The officer said he went to the house and gave Ms Carol Traynor the documents. He said it was clear she had only recently been on holidays as she was sporting a deep tan.
He had asked her if she had enjoyed her holiday with her father, and she indicated she had. She said her father was fine.
The officer said he was telephoned on September 3rd last by Mr Sean Fitzgerald, who had said he was acting on Traynor's instructions.
Mr Fitzgerald had said Traynor wanted to know if there could be some settlement on "the financial issues".
Traynor was apprehensive about the legal costs of defending the case and thought some sort of deal was the best option, Mr Fitzgerald had said.
In court yesterday, Ms Traynor agreed that she had received legal papers from a bureau representative but said she had been unable to contact her father.
She also claimed the family could not afford legal representation.
Mr Justice Moriarty said he would adjourn the proceedings for three weeks.
Members of the Traynor family, and possibly John Traynor, should discuss the matter and perhaps have someone with legal expertise represent them, the judge said.
Traynor (49) was an important source of information for Sunday Independent journalist, Veronica Guerin, who was murdered in Dublin in June of last year.
He was arrested in Amsterdam 10 days ago by a team of Dutch police and gardai tracking Brian Meehan, a suspect in the murder case.
Traynor was released from custody while Meehan was detained.