A former AIB manager has denied to the Mahon Tribunal that he was moved to another job because he told developer Tom Gilmartin about payments to lobbyist Frank Dunlop.
Eddie Kay, who was overseeing a multi-million pound loan for the Quarryvale development, said he was 'incensed' when he heard the allegation made at the tribunal, and considered it damaging.
Mr Kay said Tom Gilmartin had not known that Frank Dunlop received payments totalling £80,000 through a company called Shefran in 1991.
Mr Kay said he himself thought the payments were lobbying fees in connection with the Quarryvale rezoning. Mr Kay said the bank did not know about the payments until January 1992.
The money was paid by developer Owen O'Callaghan and recharged to the company Barkhill, in which Mr O'Callaghan, Mr Gilmartin and AIB had a shareholding.
Mr Kay said he got verbal authorisation from Mr Gilmartin for a £40,000 payment to Shefran in June 1992.
Mr Kay said Mr Gilmartin was made aware at that stage that Shefran was a Frank Dunlop company, but he said Mr Gilmartin knew that Mr Dunlop was working on the Quarryvale project.
He also said that information was not being withheld from Mr Gilmartin and if he had asked about individual payments he would have been told.
Mr Kay said he got a higher-paid job at AIB bank centre in August 1992, and denied Mr Gilmartin's allegation that he was moved because he revealed the Dunlop payments.
He said he was incensed when he also read Mr Dunlop's claim in his testimony that Mr Kay was moved by AIB because he was too close to Mr Gilmartin.
Mr Kay said he did get along with Mr Gilmartin on a personal level and was asked to meet him in England in December 1992 with another AIB official when Mr Gilmartin threatened to 'bring down' the Quarryvale development by going to the newspapers.
Mr Kay said Mr Gilmartin's grievances were general complaints about Mr O'Callaghan muscling in on his project.
He said Mr Gilmartin did not make allegations to him of corruption in the planning process.
And he denied that AIB were in collusion with Mr O'Callaghan and helped him get control of the Quarryvale development.
