Developer Tom Gilmartin has claimed that Liam Lawlor demanded a 20% stake in Quarryvale to get the go ahead for project.
In evidence at the Mahon Tribunal, Mr Gilmartin claimed Mr Lawlor said unless he got his share the plan ‘wasn't going anywhere’. He says the demand was made on two occasions, firstly at the Quarryvale site in west Dublin in autumn 1988, and on the second occasion at Mr Lawlor's constituency office.
Mr Gilmartin said he was accompanied by a property advisor on the second occasion, but Mr Lawlor made the demand when he was on his own. Mr Gilmartin said he would not repeat what he said to Mr Lawlor in reply.
Extortion allegations for Redmond
Earlier, Mr Gilmartin accused former assistant Dublin city and county manager George Redmond of extortion. Mr Gilmartin said Mr Redmond started to play games once he realised there was no mileage in asking him for money.
Mr Gilmartin said Mr Redmond cancelled a meeting at short notice, when people had travelled from Belfast and England to discuss Mr Gilmartin's development plans for Dublin. Mr Gilmartin said Mr Redmond had deprived the people of Clondalkin of 20,000 jobs.
Redmond cross-examination
Mr Redmond later admitted he has a 'vague recollection' of being unwilling to attend the meeting in 1989 referred to by Mr Gilmartin. Mr Redmond said there could well have been a cancellation or a change of time because of the workload he had.
Mr Redmond made the comment while cross-examining Mr Gilmartin, after he was shown his statement to the tribunal where he admitted 'avoiding' the meeting.
In the statement, Mr Redmond said there would have been 'hell to pay' if councillors got to hear that he and professional staff were meeting a developer about a project that was in breach of the development plan.
