Documentation held by the tribunal "blows your evidence out of the water", the multimillionaire businessman Mr Denis O'Brien was told yesterday.
Mr Eoin Fitzsimons, counsel for Telenor and three Norwegian executives who have given evidence, repeatedly asked Mr O'Brien when he thought a "conspiracy" he was alleging against the Norwegians had begun.
"I don't know," said Mr O'Brien. "You should direct that question to your clients."
Mr Fitzsimons said documentation which had been seen by the tribunal and which is "central to your conspiracy" was prepared years before.
He was referring to notes on a document sent to Telenor by the late Mr David Austin, in December 1995, and relating to a $50,000 donation to Fine Gael.
"This is a central part of your conspiracy theory," Mr Fitzsimons said. The document was shown to Mr O'Brien and other Esat Digifone directors in November 1997. "This blows your evidence out of the water."
Mr O'Brien denied, however, that notes on the document showed it had been brought to Dublin in December 1995 so it could be shown to him.
The Telenor executives have said the donation to Fine Gael was made by Telenor on behalf of Esat Digifone. Mr O'Brien said it was paid on behalf of Telenor, and that Telenor later "forced" Esat Digifone to reimburse it.
"I am saying that the evidence you have heard from Telenor is not true," said Mr O'Brien.
