Judge: Nation will be ‘disgraced’ if Esat licence award is found corrupt

A Supreme Court judge has said it will be a “disgrace to the nation and the State” if it is proven that there was corruption at the highest level of Government in the awarding of a mobile phone licence to Esat Digifone.

Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman and his fellow Supreme Court justices yesterday gave reasons for granting businessman Declan Ganley’s Comcast International Holdings Inc and Persona Digital Telephony Ltd leave to proceed with actions challenging the manner in which the State’s second mobile phone licence was allocated in 1995 to Esat Digifone.

The actions allege fraud, conspiracy, deceit, corruption, and misfeasance in public office in relation to the licence award.