Courts / Dublin / Report

Lowry asked political secretary to oversee £250k payment, trial hears

Summary

In August 2002, Michael Lowry instructed his long‑time political secretary, Aileen Dempsey, to oversee a £250,000 payment to Kevin Phelan for a property deal. Dempsey, employed by Lowry for 30 years and paid by the Oireachtas, worked from Lowry's company office, Garuda Ltd, trading as Streamline Enterprises. She relayed Lowry's instructions to raise an invoice from Streamline for the amount and to ensure the payment was made to Phelan. Lowry claimed he had "cleared" the transfer with the CEO of Norpe OY, a Finnish refrigeration company, and that the invoice should come from Phelan or his company. Dempsey later confirmed she stored the invoice and related documents, and that she had not been told to keep the transaction confidential. She also noted that in 2007 she produced a letter on Streamline paper, signed by Lowry, detailing a commission of €372,000 for Garuda, but she did not connect this with the £250,000 payment.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Lowry asked political secretary to oversee £250k payment, trial hears. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• August 2002 Other
• January 2007 Other
• January 15, 2007 Other
• August 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2018-06-20 Publication

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

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Read the original CNI report