Moriarty Tribunal focuses on award of Esat licence

THE Moriarty Tribunal will today embark on the most complex phase of the five-year-old inquiry when it examines the background to the awarding of the State's second mobile phone licence to Denis O'Brien's Esat Digifone group.

Its focus will be an examination of whether there was anything irregular about the manner in which the licence was won by an international consortium backed by Mr O'Brien and the Norwegian telecommunications group, Telenor.

The issue has raised concerns that the State could be liable for a multi-million euro compensation claim if any evidence of impropriety is found.