Former Esat chairman, Mr Denis O'Brien was aware that the financial aspect of the Esat Digifone bid for the second mobile phone license was its weak point, the Moriarty tribunal heard this afternoon.
Earlier, the tribunal heard that Mr O'Brien had given assurances to the team assessing the license bidders about the financial stability of his consortium's bid.
He told the assessors on September 12th, 1995 that he had an "irrevocable commitment" from Advent International Corporation for IR£30 million.
However, Mr John Coughlan SC for the tribunal, produced a letter from the Norwegian telecommunications company Telenor, dated September 15th, 1995, that Telenor were unhappy with a letter of comfort from Advent and wanted Mr Dermot Desomond's International Investment and Underwriting Limited (IIU) to underwrite the Esat consortium bid. Telenor were part of the Esat bid.
Mr Coughlan had already shown a draft letter prepared by William Fry solicitors acting on behalf of the consortium and sent to Mr O'Brien.
The content of both letters was the same except the draft was dated September 19th, 1995.
The two letters indicated that it was the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications who were unhappy with the financial aspect of the consortium's bid.
The tribunal heard that Mr O'Brien had told Mr Per Simonsen of Telenor, that it was the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications at the time, Mr Michael Lowry, who had advised Mr O'Brienm, in a conversation, to get IIU on board.
The conversation between the former minister and Mr O'Brien was said to have taken place in Hartigan's pub on Dublin's Leeson Street following the 1995 All-Ireland Football final on September 17th.