Lawyers for the Moriarty tribunal are expected to question Mr Denis O'Brien on his movements over the past fortnight when he returns to the inquiry today.
The multimillionaire businessman, who is being investigated over payments to the former Fine Gael minister, Mr Michael Lowry, left for London 11 days ago to be with his wife for the birth of their daughter.
His solicitors informed the tribunal that he wished to take a two-week break, which he regarded as a minimum to allow him discharge his parental responsibilities. It has emerged since, however, that Mr O'Brien's private aircraft made a number of journeys back to Dublin in the past seven days.
The Irish Times has learned that his Gulfstream jet flew into Dublin Airport last Thursday from London, taking off that evening, after a four-hour stop, for Faro airport in the Algarve, which is located just 20 minutes from Mr O'Brien's home in Quinta do Lago.
The jet returned from Portugal to Dublin yesterday afternoon and took off for Farnborough airfield in London at 4.50 p.m.
It has been reported the jet made two further flights last Monday in a round-trip journey between London and Dublin.
A spokesman for the businessman declined to say yesterday whether the journeys were made or whether Mr O'Brien was on any of the flights. "Our only comment is `No comment"', the spokesman said.
Mr O'Brien is likely to be questioned on the matter at today's hearing, which will be the first since the tribunal was adjourned last Tuesday amid acrimonious exchanges between Mr Justice Moriarty and lawyers for the O'Briens.
The tribunal chairman said he accepted Mr O'Brien's refusal to attend but remarked he was "not amused" by allegations of bias made against the tribunal. His comments followed a complaint by Mr O'Brien's lawyers about the tribunal's demand for a report from Ms Catherine O'Brien's London gynaecologist on the complications surrounding her pregnancy which prompted Mr O'Brien to fly to London.
Mr O'Brien is to be questioned about a claim that he paid £100,000 to Mr Lowry, who in 1995 as minister for transport, energy and communications granted the lucrative second mobile phone licence to Esat Digifone, of which Mr O'Brien was chairman.
Mr O'Brien was said to have divulged this information in 1996 to Mr Barry Maloney, the company's then chief executive. Mr O'Brien has indicated he will dismiss the allegation and describe the remarks he made about this, and another alleged payment of £100,000 to an unnamed individual, as "bravado".
