The Moriarty tribunal is to sit on Thursday, January 28th to hear evidence in public. Notices to this effect appear in today's newspapers.

The sitting will be the first to hear evidence in public since the tribunal was established in September, 1997. It is inquiring into the finances of the former Taoiseach, Mr Charles Haughey and the former Fine Gael minister, Mr Michael Lowry. The name of the first witness or the topic to be dealt with at the sitting has not been disclosed.

Earlier this month the chairman, Mr Justice Moriarty, said that, because of the amount of material which had been accumulated by the tribunal, evidence may be heard over a series of public hearings, rather than in one long continuous sitting.

The tribunal has heard evidence, in private, from representatives of Guinness & Mahon bank and Irish Intercontinental Bank, the two Dublin banks associated with the Ansbacher deposits. It is understood that persons and companies who may have taken out loans from these banks, backed by funds in the deposits, are now being contacted by the tribunal.