The High Court has heard that retired farmer, James Howard, made a complaint about Beverley Cooper-Flynn to his local NIB branch two months before he told RTÉ that she had encouraged him not to avail of the tax amnesty. The Court heard that Mr Howard had just received a letter from the Revenue Commissioners; he told the bank in Balbriggan that he felt let down by them and thrown to the wolves. Ms Cooper-Flynn, who is being cross examined by counsel for Mr Howard, said repeatedly and with emphasis that she had never met Mr Howard and did not sell him an off-shore investment policy.
James Howard claims that he invested in a CMI policy with Beverly Cooper-Flynn in April 1993. Shortly afterwards he learned of the tax amnesty. He says that he contacted Ms Cooper Flynn and told her he wanted to take his money out and deal with it under the amnesty but she said that there was no need to do that, and asked him why he would want to give the Government 15%. This has been denied by Ms Cooper-Flynn throughout her six days in the witness box in the High Court.
Today it emerged that in April 1998 James Howard, who had just had a letter from Revenue, went to the Balbriggan NIB Branch and complained about Ms Cooper-Flynn. In a memo of this meeting, Padraig Faughnan of NIB wrote to the Regional Manager that Mr Howard was considering going public with his case. He wanted a meeting and had stated that all his family would move their accounts. Mr Faughnan was urging a speedy meeting to save the business.
Ms Cooper-Flynn, then a TD, was not advised about this complaint until she was in touch with NIB after the RTÉ broadcasts. She repeated again that she never met Mr Howard.
Senior Counsel Paul O'Higgins also questioned her about a meeting Marina Howard and her father claim took place in 1990. Ms Howard will recall that Beverly Cooper-Flynn was wearing a large single-stone diamond engagement ring. Ms Cooper Flynn confirmed that she was engaged at that time and wore a solitaire engagement ring, but she has no recollection of meeting Marina Howard or of this conversation.
Ms Cooper Flynn said that she did not sell a CMI policy to James Howard and it is accepted that her name does not appear anywhere on the file. She said that when the person who did sell the policy gives evidence, that will be clear to everyone in court.
