Moriarty: McDowell to only question one witness
The Chairman of the Moriarty Tribunal has said former Tánaiste Michael McDowell will cease to have any further involvement in the inquiry once he completes questioning a current witness.
In the meantime, Mr Justice Michael Moriarty said, the tribunal will continue to retain the services of the one-time Attorney General who was hired as 'special counsel' to question Danish telecommunications consultant Michael Andersen.
Michael Andersen was a lead consultant to the Government in the process of awarding a mobile phone licence to Esat Digifone in 1995.
Businessmen Denis O'Brien and Dermot Desmond were shareholders in the Esat Digifone consortium.
The awarding of the licence is one of the matters being investigated by the Moriarty tribunal.
Mr Justice Moriarty said that as an experienced and senior barrister Mr McDowell will exercise his professional skills and will act on the instructions of the tribunal.
However after Mr Andersen completes his evidence - expected to take about two weeks - Mr McDowell will cease to have any further involvement in the remaining work of the tribunal, Mr Justice Moriarty said.
Lawyers for Mr O'Brien and Mr Desmond are in the High Court seeking a judicial review of Mr McDowell's involvement in the inquiry, on the basis of a series of alleged conflicts of interest between the barrister's former role in public life and his participation in the inquiry.
Meanwhile in the Dáil this morning Taoiseach Brian Cowen denied he had any role in the controversial appointment of Mr McDowell as counsel.
Mr Cowen told the house that while he approved an appointment, he did not approve the person appointed.
"The actual decision as to who was appointed by the tribunal was a matter for the tribunal," Mr Cowen said.
