Ex-government official on trial over phone bid claim

A FORMER government official has been charged with attempting to sway a bid for Antigua’s mobile phone company in favour of a consortium led by Irish businessman Denis O’Brien.

Dean Jonas, who was a senior public relations official in the Antiguan government until late last year, was charged by police with three counts of conspiracy.

It was alleged he had attempted to persuade members of the Antiguan government tender board to favour a bid by Digicel, a mobile phone company owned by Mr O’Brien and other Irish investors. There are no allegations of impropriety against any other individual. Antiguan company PCS was put up for sale by the island’s government last year. A number of bidders were interested in the company apart from Digicel.

The multi-million sale process has been shelved until after the trial of Mr Jonas. He was released on bail yesterday to appear again on May 25. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison. Digicel is the largest mobile phone operator in the Caribbean and was set up by Mr O’Brien four years ago. Other investors in the company include his long-time associate Leslie Buckley and U2’s accountant Ossie Kilkenny.

Digicel has won licences to run phone services across the Caribbean, including Jamaica, the Caymen Islands, Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados. The company is said by some analysts to be even more successful than Mr O’Brien’s Irish mobile operator Esat. The sale of Esat to British Telecom five years ago netted Mr O’Brien nearly €250 million. His wealth is estimated to have nearly doubled since then through shrewd investments.

The circumstances surrounding the awarding of the second mobile licence to Esat are under investigation by the Moriarty Tribunal.

Mr O’Brien, a tax exile, owns the massive golfing resort at Quinta do Lago in Portugal and a dozen courses in Britain. His business interests also extend to Eastern Europe, where he owns a number of radio stations and he has stakes in three stations in Dublin.