Irish mobile licence bribe scandal gathers steam

NEWS The Irish minister embroiled in the country's mobile licence scandal found himself in even hotter water yesterday following the revelation of a suspect property deal he allegedly struck with one of the licence winners. Michael Lowry's allocation of Ireland's GSM licences is currently the subject of a multi-million euro independent public inquiry by the Moriarty Tribunal. And it came to light yesterday that Lowry, the former communications minister, could be at the centre of the purchase of a £440,000 property in Cheadle, Manchester, paid for by Esat boss Denis O'Brien. Esat Digiphone was awarded a licence by Lowry in 1995. Money for the 10 per cent deposit on the property is said to have come from O'Brien's bank account in September 1999. Esat's chief accountant Aidan Phelan is also alleged to have been heavily involved in the deal. But tribunal lawyers claim correspondence in their possession from an Omagh-based estate agent makes continual mention of a man named "Michael" - a possible reference to Lowry. Yet the near identical letters in the possession of the tribunal itself makes no mention of "Michael". This, the lawyers said, was an attempt to conceal the identity of the true purchaser of the Cheadle property. O'Brien has already admitted he considered giving Lowry E127,000 in 1996 but decided against it claiming it could have been misconstrued.