Moriarty Report (Part Two) Published - Tribunal Into Enquiry into Payments to Politicians

[musashi]

The Examiner has an interesting article tomorrow about Hogan meeting Lowry.
Cronies to the last.

[ang]

I missed this - Desmond action on Moriarty tribunal halted :-

Yesterday Ms Justice Dunne said there was “simply nothing” in Mr Desmond’s pleadings such as alleged fraud in the true sense so as to satisfy the requirement for setting aside the two courts’ judgments on grounds of fraud.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...311978242.html

[PaddyJoe]

Moriarty related case coming up on July 10th according to the Phoenix. Persona and Comcast, both also rans in the bidding for the mobile license behind DOB, are seeking to overturn a 2007 High Court ruling that determined their action should not go to a hearing due to the lapse of time involved.
Persona's action is against the government, the relevant minister and the AG.
However, Comcast is also suing DOB and Michael Lowry personally.
Goldhawk points out that a certain Mr Ganley is involved with Comcast
A bit more about Comcast and Ganley here:

That was when Ganley returned to his long-term interest in telecommunications. He gathered a new management team around him in 1994 in order to bid for the second GSM licence in Ireland, which was finally awarded to a different consortium in very controversial circumstances, still the subject of an ongoing government investigation. It went for £5m (€7.3m) and was subsequently sold for £2.2bn to British Telecom a few years later, and would have made Ganley his first billion. Undeterred, he held on to consortium partner Comcast and started buying up radio spectrums in order to wirelessly deliver broadband content over “the last mile” in cities all over Europe

http://www.cnbcmagazine.com/story/declan-ganley/421/3/

[jmcc]

Moriarty related case coming up on July 10th according to the Phoenix. Persona and Comcast, both also rans in the bidding for the mobile license behind DOB, are seeking to overturn a 2007 High Court ruling that determined their action should not go to a hearing due to the lapse of time involved.
Persona's action is against the government, the relevant minister and the AG.
However, Comcast is also suing DOB and Michael Lowry personally.
Goldhawk points out that a certain Mr Ganley is involved with Comcast
A bit more about Comcast and Ganley here:

http://www.cnbcmagazine.com/story/declan-ganley/421/3/

Definitely brown trousers territory for Fine Gael and by extension the state. I think that O'Reilly was involved in one of the bids (Motorola was too from a vague memory).

Regards...jmcc

[PaddyJoe]

So what is Diarmuid Wilson up to, I wonder? Son of former FF minister John Wilson, btw.

A Fianna Fail senator has sensationally claimed that he has new information which shows Michael Lowry's involvement in the acquisition of Doncaster Rovers football ground by Denis O'Brien.

Senator Diarmuid Wilson claims Lowry attended well over 50 meetings concerning this most controversial land deal.

This has fuelled speculation it might be a "smoking gun" not previously available to the Moriarty Tribunal.

It could also be crucial to those unsuccessful bidders for the hugely lucrative second mobile telephone licence, who were given permission to proceed with a case against the State by the Supreme Court last week.

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...n-3175432.html

[PaddyJoe]

A bit more light shed on this by Elaine Byrne:

Senator Diarmuid Wilson ever so causally dropped a bombshell in the Seanad last Thursday morning.

"I wish to advise the House that I have received new information," the Cavan Monaghan senator said, which "refers to the acquisition of Doncaster Rovers Football Club and records that the member attended well in excess of 50 meetings relating to this acquisition."

Is this a smoking gun?

The member is Michael Lowry. A key figure involved in that Doncaster transaction was the Omagh-based businessman Kevin Phelan. The property agent never testified to the tribunal and could not be legally compelled to as he lived outside the jurisdiction.

Phelan is the common link between O'Brien, Lowry and the UK property transactions. Phelan has never given his version of events regarding O'Brien's £4.3m purchase of the English Football League club in 1998, two years after Lowry awarded the licence to Esat Digifone.

The tribunal said it could only ever make limited findings on the Doncaster deal because of the "suppression" of evidence.

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/an...y-3175284.html

[Stanley 2]

A bit more light shed on this by Elaine Byrne:
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/an...y-3175284.html

This really sounds like Kevin Phelan is looking for more "consultancy" fees, timing is everything and having a Senator making noise can only help, particularly as MeHole will encourage Wilson.

[Stanley 2]

So what is Diarmuid Wilson up to, I wonder? Son of former FF minister John Wilson, btw.

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...n-3175432.html

Would be nice if Judge Moriarty or his staff said they have received info rather than another FFer just blowing his bugle, actions - words and louder.

[Stanley 2]

A bit more light shed on this by Elaine Byrne:
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/an...y-3175284.html

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...m-3003031.html

Wilson has his own troubles

[PaddyJoe]

Wilson's remarks in the Senate:

Senator Diarmuid Wilson: I second Senator Byrne’s amendment to the Order of Business. I wish all my colleagues a peaceful and enjoyable break during the few weeks we will be off. As this is the final Order of Business this session, I do not want to press a vote on Senator Norris’s amendment.

In a matter of weeks Mr. Justice Moriarty of the Moriarty tribunal will adjudicate on third party legal cost applications. The auditor general has estimated these costs will be in the region of €80 million to €100 million. I wish to advise the House that I have received new information that raises concerns about the evidence of some key tribunal witnesses, particularly a Member of the Lower House. The new information refers to the acquisition of Doncaster Rovers Football Club and records that the Member attended well in excess of 50 meetings relating to this acquisition.

An Cathaoirleach: Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?

Senator Diarmuid Wilson: Yes, I have. It is my understanding that neither these meetings nor their extent were advised to the tribunal, and I will be forwarding this information to the tribunal. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate immediately on our return in September on not only the Moriarty tribunal, but the Mahon tribunal and future potential tribunals, so the costs of these tribunals are dealt with as a matter of urgency.

http://debates.oireachtas.ie/seanad/...7/19/00004.asp

[C. Flower]

Only just spotted Lowry has to stump up for Sam Smyth's legal costs, nice one

Was there ever any outcome on the possible "corrupt enrichment" case against Lowry ?

Sam Smyth has to decide now, whether he wants Lowry bankrupted or jailed.

It is deeply depressing that Lowry is an elected T.D.

[The Moth]

Yes it is depressing when a corrupt politician goes from strength to strength. Michael has proven not only to be adept at planning casinos backed by one arm bandit men and stud farms, he also has a very good eye for a horse having found himself a valuable race horse. http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&...A-6sNrRaFtzjlg and http://www.independent.ie/national-n...e-3203559.html

The Minister for justice Mr. Shatter seems to be listening to Mr. Lowry as he has announced the introduction of legislation to legalise casinos, (Daily Mail recent report) not quite as large as Mr. Lowry's backers wanted but large enough. Mr. Lowry seems to be a very lucky man and very efficient at getting things done.

[Stanley 2]

Yes it is depressing when a corrupt politician goes from strength to strength. Michael has proven not only to be adept at planning casinos backed by one arm bandit men and stud farms, he also has a very good eye for a horse having found himself a valuable race horse. http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&...A-6sNrRaFtzjlg and http://www.independent.ie/national-n...e-3203559.html

The Minister for justice Mr. Shatter seems to be listening to Mr. Lowry as he has announced the introduction of legislation to legalise casinos, (Daily Mail recent report) not quite as large as Mr. Lowry's backers wanted but large enough. Mr. Lowry seems to be a very lucky man and very efficient at getting things done.

Lowry only acts when it is of personal financial benefit to himself, if he was in UK or US he would be behind bars.

He is not lucky with horses, his friends are.

Has that Senator Diarmuid Wilson supplied the info to Moriarty of Lowry's many meetings with regard to UK transactions.

[PaddyJoe]

H/T to Namawinelake who recalls that its now a year and nine months since the Moriarty Tribunal report was published. It seems that the Gardai are still seeking advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions on what action they should take. Pearse Doherty took it up with Shatter during the week.

Deputy Pearse Doherty: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 502 of 1 May 2012, the progress made on the recommendations of the Moriarty Tribunal; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Justice and Equality, Alan Shatter: Insofar as the report of the Moriarty Tribunal made recommendations concerning the future operation of tribunals of inquiry, many of these recommendations are anticipated by the Tribunals of Inquiry Bill 2005 which awaits Report Stage debate in the Dáil. Other recommendations are the subject of consultation with the Attorney General and other relevant Departments.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that, following their examination of the report of the Moriarty Tribunal, the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions has been sought on the findings of that examination, with a view to determining whether or not a full Garda investigation should now be commenced.

http://namawinelake.wordpress.com/20...investigation/

[DCon]

Doncaster Rovers and the Dinny clan parting company

The family of businessman Denis O’Brien is to sell its interest in a controversial English football ground that was central to the Moriarty Tribunal’s probe of his links to Michael Lowry.
A successful bidder has been identified and if the deal is finalised, it would see Mr O’Brien’s family trust surrender a long-term lease to the former home of Doncaster Rovers Football Club.

The tribunal spent a number of years probing the acquisition of the site by the O’Brien family.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland...le-218871.html