The trial of a former Fine Gael councillor in Dungarvan, who is accused of receiving corrupt payments, has heard he spent thousands of euro shortly after a lodgement was made into his account by a property developer.
Fred Forsey Jr denies he received corrupt payments totalling €80,000 from a property developer in 2006 to try to get lands outside of Dungarvan rezoned.
He has told gardaí he got a loan from the developer as he was falling behind in his bills and he wanted to get an extension finished on his house so he could sell it.
On the third day of the trial at Waterford Circuit Court, two statements that he gave to gardaí after his arrest were read out in court.
He said he just rang the property developer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to ask him for the loan.
He told the court he was desperate, that he was going to lose the house and that his car was being repossessed.
He had told gardaí he knew the developer was involved in a particular land development proposal when he got the loan of €70,000 from him in August 2006, telling him he would remortgage the house to pay him back.
He said that on 24 August 2006 he was €239 overdrawn and the following day there was €60,000 extra in his account.
The court heard he withdrew €8,000 the same day with €3,000 going on flights and accommodation for a three-day family holiday to Rome and €2,000 on spending money.
They also refurbished the house, buying nine new windows from Ballinroad, spent €5,000 on furniture from Waterford, and got a carpet which his wife Jenny picked out.
He also said he spent between €1,800 and €2,100 on an engagement ring for his fiancée, buying the ring in Mahon Point in Cork.
He also bought a second-hand Mercedes.
Mr Forsey said he did remortgage with Start Mortgages in October 2006 and got €33,000, but did not use the money to pay back the developer.
The court heard he had left his wife as he was having an affair, that he was “broke” and under a lot of stress, and that he wanted to stay in Dungarvan with Karen (his partner) but had to go to Australia because of all the hassle.
He said he had been practically living off the loan from the developer.
He said he had lost interest in his driving school and was only making €150 a week from it and €65 a week from politics.
When asked by Sgt Shay Keevans if he had received corrupt payments, he said it was not a corrupt payment, adding he borrowed money that has not been paid back.
