Mr Michael Lowry has told the tribunal he stands over his account of a meeting with Sir Anthony O'Reilly in July 1995, at which the businessman allegedly told the former minister he "expected his consortium" would win the competition for the second mobile phone licence.
Sir Anthony has denied the claim, saying it was "absolutely untrue" that he even had a conversation with Mr Lowry in which he referred to his consortium's application for the second licence.
Sir Anthony, who provided backing to one of the unsuccessful bidders in the competition, Irish Cellular Telephones, said it was also "absolutely untrue" that he told Mr Lowry he expected his consortium would be successful.
Asked to comment on Sir Anthony's statement, Mr Lowry told the tribunal he believed his account of events reflected what transpired at a meeting at the Curragh racecourse on July 2nd, 1995.
Without retracting any aspect of his initial statement, however, Mr Lowry said he would like to make one comment regarding Sir Anthony's stated expectation of success. "I do not wish to convey a wrong impression by this. Mr O'Reilly was simply expressing his opinion in relation to his consortium's application rather than making a specific demand from me in relation to the matter," Mr Lowry said.
The contradictory statements were read into evidence yesterday by Mr John Coughlan SC, for the tribunal, on the second day of his opening statement on the inquiry's investigations into the awarding of the second mobile phone licence to Esat Digifone.
In his initial statement on the matter, Mr Lowry said he attended the Derby weekend meeting at the Curragh in 1995 at which someone, whom he couldn't recall, approached him and asked would he see Sir Anthony in the latter's executive box.
Mr Lowry said he did so, and a discussion ensued. Mr Lowry said Sir Anthony discussed "his consortium's application for the licence" and sought to impress upon the former minister "his commitment to Ireland and his investment in the country".
Mr Coughlan said Mr Lowry added "that Mr O'Reilly stated that he expected his consortium would be successful and that he also demanded that Minister Lowry, as Minister for Communications, should forthwith order and shut down a licence deflector system."
Mr Coughlan noted that the latter issue referred to a dispute at the time over the provision of television services in a certain part of the country.
In response, Sir Anthony told the tribunal he "totally rejects Mr Lowry's assertion that he made any comment to him concerning the second GSM licence or any application by any consortium or such like."
Sir Anthony also said "that while he did meet with Mr Lowry on the weekend of the Derby, he believes, although he is not certain, that the meeting took place on Derby Day 1996 and not Derby Day 1995." Sir Anthony said: "In any event, Mr Lowry has seriously misrepresented what took place at that meeting."
He noted that if a meeting had taken place during the 1995 Derby meeting it would have pre-dated the bid by Irish Cellular Telephones.
