A senior AIB executive has told the Mahon Tribunal that he was unaware of any corruption allegations in relation to the Quarryvale development.
Dave McGrath said he did not know what developer Tom Gilmartin meant when he threatened to go to the press around the time of a rezoning vote.
Dave McGrath and another senior AIB official travelled to London to meet Tom Gilmartin in December 1992.
Dublin county councillors were about to vote on the Quarryvale rezoning.
But Mr Gilmartin told AIB he was going to the press with complaints and grievances about the way he had been treated, and damage the Quarryvale project.
Mr McGrath said he cannot remember the details of the discussion he had with Mr Gilmartin at Heathrow Airport and did not make a note.
He said he did not know what Mr Gilmartin could or would say to the press, he just wanted to avoid adverse publicity and get Mr Gilmartin to understand the importance for all the shareholders of getting the site zoned.
Mr McGrath said any allegation of bribery or corruption would have stood out in his memory.
If he had heard anything like that he would have 'escalated' the issue within the bank.
Development problems
Earlier, Mr McGrath said Tom Gilmartin was a visionary ahead of his time when he tried to develop Quarryvale.
He said Mr Gilmartin was unable to complete the scheme himself and resented having to give a shareholding to Cork developer Owen O'Callaghan.
He said Mr Gilmartin's problems in trying to develop the site were the result of the state of the Irish economy in the late 1980s.
Mr McGrath said if Mr Gilmartin had tried ten years later he would have been able to complete the development himself.
In the event, AIB and another developer Owen O'Callaghan had to take shareholding in Mr Gilmartin's company, Barkhill, in 1991.
Mr McGrath said Mr Gilmartin was uncomfortable with his shareholding being reduced to 40% but failed to appreciate that his equity had evaporated.
Barkhill's debt to AIB was approaching £14m and the bank wanted it cleared.
He said Mr Gilmartin used strong language at a meeting to discuss the new shareholding and Mr McGrath said, being no shrinking violet himself, he would have responded.
He said Mr Gilmartin was saying it was his company and his money.
He was uncomfortable with the deal being given to 'the Corkman', he said the Corkmen were robbers and robbing his money.
'I told him his money was gone. It had disappeared down the Liffey. I told him we are now talking about the bank's money. If we can save the bank's money there might be some small change left for you'.
He said the only way Mr Gilmartin could get value was if the site was assembled, zoned and developed.
