FINANCIER Dermot Desmond’s company prevented “World War 3” breaking out between Denis O’Brien’s Communicorp Group and Norwegian State telecoms firm Telenor, the Moriarty Tribunal heard yesterday.

ESAT Digifone would never have signed the country’s second mobile phone licence if the Department of Communications was unhappy financier Dermot Desmond had come on board, entrepreneur Denis O’Brien told the Moriarty Tribunal yesterday.

FINANCIER Dermot Desmond “gave us what we wanted” when he agreed to underwrite 60% of Esat Digifone, former consortium non-executive director John Callaghan told the Moriarty Tribunal yesterday.