No suggestion of Lowry interference, says judge

THERE was no suggestion from evidence made available to the tribunal that former Communications Minister Michael Lowry interfered with the Government committee that selected the winner of the country’s second mobile telephone licence, Mr Justice Michael Moriarty said yesterday.

He was responding to Eoin McGonigal SC, for former Esat Digifone chairman Denis O’Brien whose consortium won the licence competition in October 1995.

Mr McGonigal had queried the tribunal legal team’s line of questioning relating to the way civil servants chose Mr O’Brien’s consortium above other bidders.