Moriarty Tribunal resumes today

AFTER a five-month break, the Moriarty Tribunal resumes in Dublin Castle today.

Chairman Mr Justice Michael Moriarty will set out when he believes the enquiry will finish hearing evidence into payments to former Taoiseach Charles J Haughey and former Communications Minister Michael Lowry.

Established in September 1997, the tribunal had sat for 286 days before adjourning on April 2.

Apart from an opening statement by Mr Moriarty, witnesses are expected to be called relating to the £4 million purchase of the Doncaster Rovers football ground in England by businessman Denis O'Brien in 1998.

The main focus of the enquiry has been the awarding of the country's second mobile phone licence to an Irish/Norwegian consortium headed by Mr O'Brien, in October 1995.

The Doncaster property purchase relates to Mr Lowry in a general way. English solicitor Christopher Vaughan who handled the deal was also involved in other property transactions about the same time and in which Mr Lowry had an interest. All of the transactions involved an associate of Mr O'Brien, accountant Aidan Phelan, who is expected to give evidence in the coming days.