This article is from page 13 of the 2008-07-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
PASCHAL Carmody told the trial that he was not aware of the existence of a company called PDT Ltd until February 2002, despite receiving 47 cheques from the company between February 2001 and February 2003.
Mr Carmody was cross-examined at length about the company PDT Ltd which he claims was set up by Dr William Porter and his wife Maggie and with which he had no involve- ment.
Prosecution Sree Denis Vaughan Buckley asked Mr Carmo-
dy if he only became aware of the ex- istence of the company in February 2002, how he received 47 cheques totalling €207,156 as well as an “‘ad- ditional payment” of €242,675 from that company between February 2001 and February 2003.
Mr Vaughan Buckley said, “You must have been aware the company existed.” Mr Carmody said he did not become aware of the company until February 2002.
The court was also told that an ex- amination of Mr Carmody’s bank ac- counts by a forensic accountant dur- ing the garda investigation revealed
lodgments of €240,000 in 2001 and €1.9m in 2002. The following year, (2003) there were lodgments totalling €2.359m while in 2005 the figure had dropped to just over €500,000.
Mr Carmody told the court that he had no issue with his finances being discussed in court and he wanted to be open about them.
He dismissed suggestions that he was a fraudster taking advantage of vulnerable people by shining lights on them to rob them of money. “I have never misguided a patient in any way, he said.
‘There was no need for me to make money from it. In the early stages of treating cancer patients, the ma- jority I never charged for treatment and later, I only charged to cover my costs.”
He said while he had “no problem giving hope to patients, false hopes I have a problem with.”
He added, “If it was a good result, then that was satisfactory to both parties and this and only this was my approach in my 36 years of medical practice.”
Asked by his counsel about how be- ing struck off as a doctor in 2004 im-
pacted him, Mr Carmody said, “‘It is the worst thing that can happen you bem bb Konee
Mr Carmody also told how had a dispute with Dr William Porter and his wife Maggie in 2002 and decid- ed then to end his association with WeoNee
He said that he was concerned they were just carrying out a commercial ey oer: lnleyee
He said the Porters wanted to de- velop photodynamic therapy as a commercial enterprise and he did not feel that this was in keeping with good ethical practice.