Builder Mr Joseph McGowan conceded to the Flood tribunal today that he lied and gave false evidence in a sworn affidavit to the High Court in 1985.
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The tribunal is investigating payments of £15,000 and £60,000 to the former Fianna Fáil minister, Mr Ray Burke, from Canio, an offshore company linked with the builder and his business partner, Mr Tom Brennan.
In 1985, Allied Irish Finance sued Mr Brennan, Mr McGowan and their solicitor, Mr George Russell over deeds and a land sale. Mr Russell also initiated legal proceedings against the builders.
In his affidavit to the High Court, Mr Russell said on the instructions of Brennan and McGowan he gave an undertaking to hold the title deeds of lands in Sandyford, Co Dublin, owned by Canio as security for a loan taken out by a Brennan and McGowan company.
Counsel for the tribunal Ms Patricia Dillon SC, said Mr McGowan’s subsequent denial of this was a lie.
Ms Dillon also accused Mr McGowan of deliberately not disclosing his interest in Canio, of denying he had moved money out of the jurisdiction and of falsely claiming he did not have money offshore.
In a heated exchange Mr McGowan initially said he did not see it as a lie. Ms Dillon said it was "an absolute lie, under oath". Mr McGowan conceded the information he had given was "certainly not accurate".
Ms Dillon asked: "Is it your normal habit to lie with impunity?" Mr McGowan replied: "Certainly not".
Ms Dillon then described Mr McGowan’s affidavit to the High Court as "a tissue of lies" and asked Mr McGowan: "Is this how you do your business or is this an isolated occurrence?" Mr McGowan responded saying it had been a difficult time. Ms Dillon said: "You deliberately, willfully and maliciously set out to ruin Mr Russell." Mr McGowan replied that this was never his intention.
Ms Dillon said: "You lied in your affidavit because it was expedient and necessary just as you have employed the same tactic in your testimony to this tribunal."
She said Mr McGowan continued a "lifetime of lies" in his evidence to the tribunal last year, when he failed to disclose offshore payments to Ray Burke.
She said: "Your fallback position is to lie. You were as big a liar [in 1985] as you have been to this tribunal."
