Director complains of unfair treatment

MANAGEMENT consultant Leslie Buckley, a former Esat Digifone director, complained at the Moriarty Tribunal yesterday he had been unfairly treated by the tribunal.

He claimed he missed a business meeting in the Caribbean due to a problem about the tribunal sitting times.

He said when it became apparent last week he needed to be in the Caribbean yesterday his solicitor contacted the tribunal and it was agreed his evidence would begin at 10am and finish at 1pm.

But subsequent contact between his solicitor and the tribunal led to the disclosure that the inquiry at Dublin Castle would not begin until 11am. If his solicitor had not contacted the tribunal, Mr Buckley said, he would not have been given the information about the actual sitting time.

In evidence, Mr Buckley said he is shareholder and non-executive director of Digicell.

Chairman Mr Justice Michael Moriarty expressed concern about the length of time it was taking to complete the current module dealing with the background into the award of the country’s second mobile phone licence to Digifone in the 1990s.