BUSINESSMAN Denis O'Brien has taken the dramatic step of launching an alternative website to the Moriarty Tribunal to present what the site claims to be the "true picture" of the tribunal's "eight and a half year inquiry into the awarding of the second mobile phone licence".

The website, www.moriarty tribunal.com, says it is designed to "help explain and expose the inner workings of the Moriarty Tribunal".

A spokesman for O'Brien said yesterday that the purpose of this site is to raise awareness of the tribunal's modus operandi and to address the key issues about the licence inquiry in a way that people can understand.

"Denis O'Brien is putting all this material forward so that people can read about what has been going on at the tribunal and judge for themselves. These are very serious issues," the spokesman said.

"Not a single person involved in the licence process has given any evidence that Michael Lowry interfered with their work or that he sought to influence the process in any way.

"However, despite this complete lack of real evidence, the tribunal seems to think it can damn the licence process and all of those involved."