Former lobbyist Frank Dunlop has told a jury he lied to the planning tribunal and spent 13 and a half months in jail after pleading guilty to a number of corruption charges.
The 65-year-old is being cross examined at the trial of businessman James Kennedy of Queens Quay in Gibraltar, who he says gave him money to pay local politicians to support land rezoning in South Dublin.
‘Are you an honest person?’ was the first question put to Frank Dunlop by Michael O’Higgins, SC, acting for businessman Jim Kennedy to which he replied ‘yes, I am’.
‘Were you always?’ asked Mr. O’Higgins.
‘No not always’ replied the former lobbyist.
Mr. Dunlop went on to admit to the jury that he lied on oath to the planning Tribunal in April 2000 about an AIB account in Rathfarnham, Dublin. He said he was unable to explain lodgments and withdrawals from the account and decided after some reflection to come clean and admit the account was a war chest for rezoning purposes.
During one exchange about a diary and whether Mr. Dunlop had erased details that could be considered business, personal , or personal business, Mr. O’Higgins put it to the witness ‘Is this going to be one of those cross examinations that if I don’t ask the right questions I won’t get the right answers?’
Mr. O’Higgins told the jury he has a large number of questions and that his cross examination will take ‘some considerable time’.
Frank Dunlop earlier told the court that he pleaded guilty to charges of corruption and was given an 18 months jail sentence.
His evidence for the prosecution is that he was engaged by businessman Jim Kennedy around 1991 and again around 1997 to pay Dublin councillors to vote and support land rezoning of agricultural lands in Carrickmines.
He claims he collected £25,000 cash for this purpose from a bunker in an amusement arcade on Westmoreland Street owned by Mr. Kennedy and that he was offered six figure success fees.
Jim Kennedy denies 16 counts of making corrupt payments in 1992 and 1997. He is on trial with a sitting councillor and 3 former politicians who deny charges of receiving corrupt payments in various locations in Dublin including the Davenport Hotel, Conway’s pub and Buswells Hotel.
They are Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Councillor Tony Fox (72) of Mountainview Park, Churchtown, Dublin and former councillors Colm Mc Grath (56) of Swiftwood, Saggart, Donal Lydon (74) of Santo Antonio, Stillorgan Park Avenue and Liam Cosgrave (57) of Merrion Park, Blackrock.
