A former Dublin Corporation valuer has said that George Redmond 'stymied' a £3 million land deal with property developer Tom Gilmartin to favour a rival developer.
Ex-chief valuer Michael McLoone told the Mahon Tribunal that Mr Gilmartin had to pay more than £2 million extra in 1989 after an offer from Green Property, developers of the Blanchardstown Centre.
Mr McLoone said he thought Mr Redmond interfered in the deal because he was due to go onto Green Property's payroll and added ‘what George wanted, George generally got’.
Mr McLoone added that, on another occasion, Mr Redmond's interference resulted in a 100% price increase for the site of the IDA Industrial Estate at Leopardstown Road in south Dublin.
Earlier, Mr McLoone told the Tribunal that Mr Gilmartin believed a rival developer had accused him of tax evasion as a way of frustrating the Quarryvale project.
Mr McLoone said that Mr Gilmartin believed that Owen O'Callaghan had given misinformation about him to the British Inland Revenue as a diversionary tactic.
Mr Gilmartin said his assets were frozen for years as a result.
Mr McLoone said Mr Gilmartin complained about his plans being frustrated and that councillors had demanded money from him.
But Mr McLoone said Mr Gilmartin may have had 'unreasonable expectations' about the length of time needed to change the Dublin development plan to facilitate Quarryvale.
Mr McLoone said he considered Mr Gilmartin a nice and pleasant individual but said he was inclined to complain frequently.
Mr McLoone said Mr Gilmartin telephoned him out of the blue later in 1998 or 1999 about difficulties he was having.
Mr McLoone said he may have been looking for a shoulder to cry on.
