A letter signed by then Transport Minister Brian Cowen urging councillors not to allow an industrial rezoning near Dublin Airport was not sent until after they voted.
Former Aer Rianta executive Brian Byrne told the Mahon Tribunal he did not know why the letter drafted and signed by Mr Cowen in August 1993 was not sent until after the rezoning was confirmed by Dublin councillors in September.
Mr Byrne said Aer Rianta opposed the rezoning sought by the Cargobridge consortium because the lands it had purchased were crucial to the expansion of Dublin Airport.
He said airport business was expanding rapidly at the time and it was in the best interests of the country and the taxpayers that the development should not go ahead.
And he pointed out that the air freight warehousing planned by Cargobridge could easily have been situated 1km down the road without any interference to Aer Rianta's plans.
The development would mean that Cargobridge would get the benefit of State investment in the airport without paying anything in return.
The tribunal has heard how the site was developed after Cargobridge was allowed a commercial right of way through lands owned by the Department of Transport despite Aer Rianta's objections.
In evidence Mr Byrne admitted the problem was that Celtic Helicopters owned by Ciaran Haughey had already been allowed a presence on the land and had a restricted right of way.
He said he asked Mr Haughey on a number of occasions in the early 1990s if he had an interest in Cargobridge but he denied it.
Mr Byrne said he only heard recently that Mr Haughey had been hiding his interest.
Frank Dunlop has testified that he was hired by Cargobridge to lobby then Minister Brian Cowen in favour of the right of way and paid bribes to three councillors to support the rezoning.
