Lawyers for the Fianna Fáil TD, Beverley Cooper-Flynn, told a jury in the High Court that she never met, spoke to or had any dealings with the retired farmer who had made allegations against her. Ms Cooper-Flynn is suing RTÉ, reporter Charlie Bird and retired County Louth farmer, James Howard. She claims that the station libelled her in reports it broadcast on a financial investments scheme. RTÉ denies the charges.
In the summer of 1998 RTÉ broadcast a number of reports about an investment scheme in the Isle of Man that was sold to Irish customers by National Irish Bank. The reports, by journalist Charlie Bird, made a number of allegations against the Ms Cooper-Flynn who had in the past worked for NIB. The reports carried allegations that she had advised some customers that they did not have to avail of the tax amnesty and that if they invested in a certain savings scheme the tax man would never find out. Today her counsel said that Ms Cooper-Flynn had never suggested to customers that this was a good way to hide money and they said she had not facilitated tax evasion.
Senior Counsel Gareth Cooney told the High Court that the allegations had had a devastating effect on Ms Cooper-Flynn's good name. The attack went to the core of her political reputation. He told the jury there was a tendency at present to condemn all politicians. This, he said, was not fair. Mr Cooney described the investment schemes that Ms Cooper-Flynn had sold as an employee of NIB as legitimate and legal, that minimised the tax liability of the investor. He said that Ms Cooper-Flynn had never even met Mr Howard.
