Former Assistant Dublin city and county manager George Redmond has corruptions findings against him withdrawn

George Redmond, (90), former assistant Dublin city and county manager leaving court after the hearing.

Former Dublin County Manager, George Redmond, pictured arriving at the Four Courts yesterday (Fri) for the judgement in a High Court action (Courts Collins)

George Redmond, (90), former assistant Dublin city and county manager leaving court after the hearing.

Former Dublin County Manager, George Redmond, pictured arriving at the Four Courts yesterday (Fri) for the judgement in a High Court action (Courts Collins)

George Redmond, (90), former assistant Dublin city and county manager leaving court after the hearing.

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December 19 2014 02:41 PM

The Planning Tribunal has agreed at the High Court to withdraw findings of corruption and all other adverse findings made against former assistant Dublin City and County Manager George Redmond in its third interim report of 2004.

A determination he was not entitled to costs has also been withdrawn.

The development, announced at the High Court today to Mr Justice Paul Gilligan, comes after the tribunal told the Supreme Court last July it was no longer opposing Mr Redmond's appeal against a 2012 court order halting his own action aimed at overturning the adverse findings.

Senior Counsel Hugh Hartnett SC also asked the judge for an order requiring the Tribunal to take appropriate steps to remove the quashed findings from circulation. Counsel also asked for an order quoshing the Tribunal findin g thatMr Redmond had hindered and obstruct it.

Outside court 90 year old George Redmond said he was relieved it was over .

"It has been going on a long tim e and it has had a huge effect on my life and the life of my family, " he said.

Mr Redmond initiated his action in 2005 and the High Court accepted the Tribunal's arguments it was prejudiced due to inordinate and inexcusable delay in advancing it.

The Tribunal cross-appealed other aspects of that High Court decision allowing Mr Redmond continue with his challenge to the Tribunal findings he hindered and obstructed it and consequently was not entitled to costs before the Tribunal.

When the matter was before the Supreme Court in July, the judges raised several issues arising from the 2010 Supreme Court finding in proceedings taken against the Tribunal by Joseph Murphy Structural Engineers (JMSE).

In the JMSE case, the Supreme Court found, and the tribunal conceded, that important material described by one of the judges as "potentially explosive" going to the credibility of the Tribunal's key prosecution witness, the late James Gogarty, was wrongly withheld by the Tribunal. The material included allegations made by Mr Gogarty, who died in 2005, against a politican and a law officer, it was stated.

In light of the Tribunal having conceded in the JMSE case the material should not have been withheld, the Supreme Court had asked the Tribunal if it proposed to defend Mr Redmond's main action.

The court was ultimately told the Tribunal was not opposing Mr Redmond's appeal and would pay his costs in the High and Supreme Courts in that regard. The Tribunal was also withdrawing its own cross-appeal, counsel added.

Mr Redmond's civil case was initiated in 2005 as a result of the Tribunal finding in its third interim report of 2004 Mr Redmond received a corrupt payment in relation to planning matters and had also obstructed its work.

Separately, Mr Redmond was convicted of corruption in 2003 and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment following a majority jury verdict. That conviction was overturned on appeal as unsafe and he was released after six months. He was retried in 2008 on two separate corruption charges but the jury failed to reach a verdict on the first count and he was acquitted on the second.