Mon 12 Dec 2002Lowry could not influence phone bid, say key officialsThe former minister Mr Michael Lowry could not have influenced the award of the State's lucrative second mobile phone licence to Esat Digifone, key civil servants involved have told the Moriarty tribunal, writes Colm KeenaThe State could be sued for hundreds of millions of euros by the losing bidders for the licence if the tribunal, which resumes public hearings tomorrow, finds that the 1995 licence award competition was tainted. The members of the successful Esat Digifone consortium made fortunes out of the licence.