Lowry denies supporting any mobile licence bid

FORMER Fine Gael minister Michael Lowry told the Moriarty Tribunal yesterday he gave no support to any of the six groups competing for the country’s second mobile phone licence.

Mr Lowry said he had no involvement in the detail of the bid. The competition, he said, was conducted by civil servants who were assisted by consultants from outside the Department of Communications.

Businessman Denis O’Brien’s Esat Digifone consortium was announced as the competition winner in late October 1995. The Persona consortium that came second in the competition is suing the State and, should it win, could seek in excess of €100 million in damages.