Esat Digifone should never have been approached by Fine Gael for a donation in November 1995, the former chairman of the company, Mr Denis O'Brien, said yesterday.
In evidence to the tribunal, he said it was "a mistake" for Fine Gael to solicit the donation at that "sensitive time", as it was only a month after Esat Digifone had been awarded the contract for the State's second mobile-phone licence. Mr O'Brien said it would have been inappropriate for Esat to give a donation at that time.
Counsel for the tribunal, Mr John Coughlan SC, asked Mr O'Brien if the worry was the money might have indicated "some sort of thank you".
Mr O'Brien said Esat refused to make the donation but Telenor, a shareholder in Esat "said they would do it" after discussions with Mr O'Brien. ". . . The mistake was we should never have been approached in my view."
Mr O'Brien said they should not have been approached because there was a lot of controversy in the newspapers. "There was a lot of whingeing by people who didn't win the licence and that would be the reason".
Counsel put it to Mr O'Brien that the person who approached him for support, Mr David Austin, was an experienced businessman, and he wondered how he could have "misjudged the situation so badly". Mr O'Brien replied that Mr Austin did not live in Ireland and probably did not have his finger on the pulse at the time.
Counsel also asked the witness why he telephoned Fine Gael member Mr Frank Conroy after the donation details were made public last March. Mr O'Brien said he rang him to "sympathise". Mr O'Brien will continue his evidence tomorrow.