Desmond finances probed day before contract awarded

THE day before the licence to run the second mobile phone network was awarded an accountant with the Department of Communications was still probing millionaire businessman Dermot Desmond’s finances, the Moriarty Tribunal heard yesterday.

The licence was granted to the Denis O’Brien-led Esat Digifone consortium.

On secondment from Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Donal Buggy yesterday described how civil servants asked him to analyse the Digifone backers on May 13, 1996. He particularly focused on Mr Desmond’s financial status.