An English solicitor Christopher Vaughan appeared at a surprise sitting of the Moriarty Tribunal this morning following the issuing of a summons.
Interested parties were given just 15 minutes to get to Dublin Castle for the surprise sitting which heard that Mr Vaughan had been in Dublin this morning to meet with legal representatives of the businessman Denis O'Brien.
When Mr Vaughan called to Dublin Castle he was served with a summons requiring him to appear fortwith.
The tribunal then sat at 10 o'clock and was adjourned to a date to be arranged.
Mr Vaughan acted as solicitor in property transactions in the UK which the tribunal is investigating and which involved the former government minister Michael Lowry.
He has declined previous requests to attend before the tribunal.
The short sitting also heard that Mr O'Brien is no longer using the solicitors firm William Fry who have been acting for him at the tribunal since 2001 and he has now engaged new solicitors.
The tribunal has issued confidential draft findings on matters to do with Mr Lowry, Mr O'Brien and the 1995 mobile phone competition won by Mr O'Brien Esat digifone.
Affected parties are currently in correspondance with the tribunal concerning these draft findings.