O'Brien to give evidence next week

The entrepreneur Mr Denis O'Brien is scheduled to begin giving evidence to the Moriarty tribunal next Tuesday about how Esat Digifone won the State's second mobile phone licence.

Mr O'Brien, who is resident in Portugal and has business interests in the Caribbean, is likely to give evidence for two to three weeks, though there may be breaks in between.

His expected appearance before the tribunal is coming earlier than had been anticipated as it was thought the tribunal would first hear evidence from other people involved in the Digifone consortium, such as executives with the Norwegian company, Telenor, and the financier Mr Dermot Desmond.

However, it is understood the tribunal has decided to go ahead with hearing Mr O'Brien's testimony on the complex history of the formation of Digifone, its bid for the licence in 1995, the bringing on board of Mr Desmond, and the issuing of the licence in May 1996.

Among the issues likely to be focused on are the circumstances whereby Mr Desmond became involved, and the reasoning Mr O'Brien gave to Telenor for introducing Mr Desmond.

Mr O'Brien has already spent 10 days in the tribunal witness box. He gave evidence in June 2001, October 2001 and July 2002. He has given testimony concerning transactions which involved Mr Michael Lowry and his former accountant, Mr Aidan Phelan. The transactions took place in the late 1990s. Mr O'Brien said he had no knowledge of them.

He has also given evidence concerning financial transactions involving him and the late Mr David Austin, a former Smurfit executive, friend of Mr O'Brien and his family, and friend of Mr Lowry.