Lawyers for Denis O'Brien claim an article in the Irish Daily Mail which allegedly defames the businessman is a 'spiteful piece of non-sense'.

The Digicel Chairman claims his reputation has been unfairly and unjustifiably attacked by the piece which appeared on 22nd January 2010 under the headline:

'Moriarty's about to report. No wonder Denis O'Brien's acting the saint in stricken Haiti'.

The 54-year-old is suing Associated Newspapers, which publishes the Daily Mail, editors Paul Dacre and Paul Field and the journalist Paul Drury who wrote the piece.

They deny defaming the businessman.

The article appeared 10 days after Haiti was hit by an earthquake and discusses Mr. O'Brien's appearance on a RTÉ news report by Charlie Bird in Port-au-Prince.

It refers to the businessman as 'that chunky figure in the polo-shirt who keeps popping up alongside Charlie on our television screens'.

It goes on to discuss the then un-published Moriarty report into the awarding of the second mobile phone license to Mr. O'Brien's Esat company in 1996 and concludes:

'The fact that he managed to hook up so quickly with Charlie Bird when he got there and to spend so much time filling Charlie in on everything he is doing will also help take a lot of the sting out of the tribunal report.'

The jury has heard the 54-year-old alleges the meaning of the newspaper piece is that his involvement in the Haitian relief effort was an act of hypocrisy motivated by his own self interest.

His barrister Jim O'Callaghan, SC, claims the article is 'nasty, spiteful and defamatory'.

Denis O'Brien takes the stand

Opening the case Mr. O'Brien's business career was outlined to the jury including his company Digicel's $800 millon investment in Haiti since 2005.

Mr. O'Calllaghan said the court will hear that in the wake of the earthquake Mr. O'Brien's primary concern was for his staff and the company's mobile phone network.

He and others from Digicel arrived in Haiti on January 17th to be met with biblical scenes of tragedy and turmoil.

He was able to respond to RTÉ's former Washington Correspondent Charlie Bird's personal request for assistance entering the country by getting him in on a Jamaican government jet.

The court heard the journalist then requested an interview with the businessman.

Denis O'Brien has taken the stand.

There was laughter in court as he told the jury that he had studied Arts in UCD as he could not get directly into Commerce having failed pass Maths.

The case before Ms. Justice Elizabeth Dunne is to last 4 to 5 days.