The trial at the Special Criminal Court of prominent republican Thomas "Slab" Murphy for alleged tax evasion has heard that over a period of two years a man named Thomas Murphy supplied cattle worth over €30,000 to Kepak Meat Processors.
Evidence regarding cattle purchased by a man of the same name was also heard in court today.
It is the prosecution's case that, although Mr Murphy conducted significant dealings in relation to cattle and land, and received farming grants from the Department of Agriculture, he failed to make any returns to revenue.
Mr Murphy, 66, of Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, Co Louth, has pleaded not guilty to nine charges alleging that he failed to furnish a return of his income, profits or gains or the source of his income, profits or gains to the Collector General or the Inspector of Taxes for the years 1996/97 to 2004.
Mr Murphy is being prosecuted on foot of an investigation by the Criminal Assets Bureau.
Tom Mulligan, former project manager at Kepak, Clonee, Co Meath, told the non-jury court that in 2006 he provided gardaí with records of business conducted by Kepak with Thomas Murphy.
The documents are a record of payments made by Kepak, the court heard.
Mr Mulligan told Paul Burns SC, prosecuting, that, from August 1999 to August 2001, cattle worth over €30,000 were supplied to the company by Thomas Murphy.
Copies of cheques made payable from Kepak to Thomas Murphy were exhibited to the three-judge court.
The court also heard evidence from Stephen O'Beirne, former manager of Ballinasloe Livestock Mart, Co Galway, who said that, in May 2004, a man named Thomas Murphy, with an address at Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, Co Louth, purchased five cattle, with a total value of €4,737.29.
Mr O'Beirne told the court that an authorised cattle agent paid for the cattle.
Mary Keenan, manager at Kingscourt Mart, Co Cavan, told the court that, in May 2004, cattle worth over €5,000 were purchased "on behalf of" Thomas Murphy.
"I've never dealt with Thomas Murphy in person," she told the court.
The trial continues.
