What did Mr. Martin Brennan, Chairman of the Project Team established to conduct the second mobile phone licence competition process, say in his evidence?

 

Mr Martin Brennan was a Principal Officer and Head of the Telecommunications Development Division in the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications.  He was Chairman of the PTGSM (Project Team) that was specifically established to design and implement the second mobile phone licence competition process. 

 

In his evidence to the Tribunal on Day 182 (12 February 2003), Mr. Brennan unequivocally stated that Mr Lowry did not interfere in the competition.

 

“Q.… Your evidence, anyway, Mr. Brennan, is that, if I have you right, you don’t believe then that Minister Lowry interfered with the adjudicative process at all in any respect?

 

A.      Correct.

 

Q.    You don’t in fact believe that it was possible that Minister Lowry could have interfered with the adjudicative process in any respect?

 

A.    Correct.

 

Q.    And as somebody who is now an assistant secretary of a government department, an extremely experienced civil servant, I take it that you’d accept that the work you did, that you are now here giving evidence about, was perhaps one of the most significant, if not the most significant, responsibilities you have been entrusted with in your professional career?

 

A.    I think that’s true, yeah.

 

Q.    And you are effectively — and I don’t mean to lead the situation any more than it already is, but you are effectively, following on what Mr. McGonigal has suggested to you, staking your professional reputation on a finding that there was no interference in the process and that you are here in quite clear terms standing over the work of the Project Group that you chaired; isn’t that all correct?

 

A.    Yes, that’s correct.”