Jeffrey Donaldson has denied that he attended a meeting in the 1990s with an alleged victim to nip her claims of sexual abuse against him “in the bud”.
Prosecution barrister Rosemary Walsh is continuing to cross-examine the former DUP leader at his historical sexual offences trial at Newry Crown Court.
Donaldson, 63, has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences.
The charges include one count of rape and allegations of indecent assault and gross indecency, and span a time period between 1985 and 2008 involving two alleged victims.
Complainant A and B have both given evidence at the trial.
Both women allege they were abused as children.
Eleanor Donaldson, 60, from Dublinhill Road, Dromore, Co Down, denies several charges of aiding and abetting her husband’s alleged offending.
She is facing a trial of the facts on mental health grounds.
Resuming her cross-examination on Friday morning, Walsh referred to a phone call Donaldson received in the 1990s from David Hoy, the founder of the Christian Family Centre in Armoy.
The court has previously heard that Complainant B stayed at the centre in the 1990s after developing an issue with drugs.
The court has also been told that Complainant B had told a church pastor at the centre about the alleged abuse and he then introduced her to Hoy and his wife and a meeting with Donaldson was arranged.
The court has also heard B claim that Donaldson apologised to her at that meeting.
The barrister asked Donaldson if he did not see “anything strange” about the approach from Hoy.
Donaldson said: “I get lots of phone calls from people I have never met before in the course of my political work.”
Walsh suggested that he filtered his phone calls.
He said: “I don’t actually. I have given my phone number out to many people over the years.”
He said it was “not unusual” for him to get a phone call from someone he had never met before.
Walsh suggested Donaldson needed to meet Hoy because “he was going to be talking to you about a sensitive matter”.
Donaldson said: “That is absolutely not true.”
He said he had not tried to “avoid the meeting”, and was happy to meet Mr Hoy.
Walsh said: “You had to go on the defensive to deal with this?”
Donaldson said: “That is not true.”
Walsh pointed out that Hoy’s evidence to the court was that an “allegation” had been made.
Donaldson said: “The word allegation was never mentioned to me.
“If it had been mentioned I would have immediately asked what it was about.”
Walsh said: “You knew fine rightly what it was about.”
Donaldson responded: “That is not true.”
Walsh asked if Hoy had “made up” the evidence that an allegation had been made.
He said: “I am saying he is mistaken in his recollection.”
Walsh said Donaldson had attended the meeting in Amoy as he “knew this was something you needed to nip in the bud”.
He said: “That is not true at all.”
Walsh pointed out that before the meeting Complainant B had first raised the allegations against Donaldson with someone else.
He said: “I had no knowledge whatsoever of any of that.”
The trial continues.
