Lowry was sent sensitive data on deal

MORIARTY TRIBUNAL:AN ENGLISH solicitor sent highly sensitive information about the purchase of Doncaster Rovers Football Club to Michael Lowry because he thought the TD was someone who could help, the Moriarty tribunal was told yesterday.

In his second day of evidence, Christopher Vaughan was asked by tribunal chairman Mr Justice Michael Moriarty why he was prepared to discuss confidential information on Doncaster Rovers FC, his biggest case, with an Irish politician.

Mr Vaughan said there had been “no holding back” of sensitive information when the matter was discussed by other interested parties in the presence of Mr Lowry.

He was “seeking a bit of help” in progressing the project and thought “here was somebody who would offer it”. He also said he thought Mr Lowry was “a bit of a lifesaver”.

The tribunal is examining allegations of payments to politicians, and Mr Vaughan was being questioned as part of the tribunal’s inquiries into whether businessman Denis O’Brien gave financial support to Mr Lowry, the former minister for energy, transport and communications.

Mr O’Brien’s Esat Digifone won the 1995 mobile phone licence competition which was run by Mr Lowry’s department.

Mr Lowry has said he played no role in the selection of the winner. Mr O’Brien was involved in the purchase of Doncaster Rovers in 1998.

Mr Vaughan was questioned about correspondence including a letter he sent to Mr Lowry and to offshore company Westferry Ltd.

In a letter to Mr Lowry dated September 25th, 1998, following a meeting the two men had, Mr Vaughan said: “I had not appreciated your total involvement in the Doncaster Rovers transactions.”

He had gone on to outline commercially sensitive information, including advice about stripping assets from the company.

Counsel for the tribunal, Gerry Healy SC, said the issue discussed was “highly sensitive information to be imparting to anyone”.

Mr Justice Moriarty pointed out that Mr Vaughan had been prudent in not becoming involved in land deals in Ireland when he was asked to, and wondered why he was prepared to discuss his biggest case with an Irish politician.

Mr Vaughan said the businessmen involved in the deal had not held back on sensitive data when they discussed the football club in the presence of Mr Lowry.

In October 2002, Peter Vanderpump, director of Westferry Ltd, the offshore company behind Doncaster Rovers, wrote to Mr Vaughan and told him Mr Lowry had no involvement in the club and it was held in trust for Denis O’Brien and his family.

In a draft letter written later that month, Mr Vaughan replied: “I do not think I misunderstood his [Mr Lowry’s] comments to me that he was involved in DRFC.”

Under pressure from Mr Healy, who asked whether that comment was correct, he said: “I gained an impression he had the power to influence getting the parties together.”He said the letter was never sent. The letter was “an obvious mistake”, “nonsense” and “rubbish”, he added.