(Pictured: Mr Sean FitzPatrick. Credit: Collins)

A judge has ordered that former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick be found not guilty of hiding millions of euro in loans from auditors.

On day 126 of the State’s longest running criminal trial, Judge John Aylmer said that there was a real risk that the former bank executive would be denied his constitutional right to a fair trial. He said this resulted from alarming flaws in the prosecution.

The judge said that he intended to direct the jury to acquit Mr FitzPatrick (68), of Whitshed Road, Greystones, Co Wicklow, of all remaining charges. His ruling ….read more

(Pictured: Mr Sean FitzPatrick. Credit: Collins)

The man in charge of auditing Anglo Irish Bank for seven years has told a jury that he would have considered an alleged refinancing arrangement of loans to Sean FitzPatrick as significant to the audit.

Mr FitzPatrick (68), the bank’s former chairman, is accused of misleading auditors about multi-million euro loans from 2002 to 2007. He has denied all charges.

On day 79 of the trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Dominic McGinn SC, prosecuting, showed Kieran Kelly, a partner with audit firm EY (previously Ernst & Young) a number of loan facility letters from Irish Nationwide ….read more

(Pictured: Witness Mr Kevin O’Connell. Credit: Collins)

Gardaí have never investigated a State official’s destruction of documents related to the investigation of alleged crimes by former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean Fitzpatrick, a trial has heard.

Mr FitzPatrick (68) is on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court accused of misleading auditors about multi-million euro loans in the years 2002 to 2007.

The jury has already heard that in May 2015 Kevin O’Connell, a lead investigator from the Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE), shredded documents which were relevant to the investigation.

He told Bernard Condon SC, defending, that he panicked when he discovered ….read more

(Pictured: Accused Mr Sean FitzPatrick. Credit: Collins)

Gardai were not involved in the drafting of witness statements criticised by a trial judge in the prosecution of former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick, a court has heard.

Lawyers for Mr FitzPatrick (68), who is accused of misleading auditors about multi-million euro loans, have previously said that statements from witnesses from the auditors were produced as a result of coaching and cross-contamination between witnesses.

Earlier this week the jury heard that the practices used by investigators from the Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) were found to be “unlawful” by Judge Mary Ellen ….read more

(Pictured: Accused Mr Sean FitzPatrick. Credit: Collins)

Investigators into alleged crimes by former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean Fitzpatrick used “unlawful” practices when taking witness statements, his trial has heard.

Lawyers for Mr FitzPatrick (68), who is accused of misleading auditors about multi-million euro loans, have said that statements from witnesses from the auditors were produced as a result of coaching and cross-contamination between witnesses.

On day 72 of the trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, the jury saw a draft statement from Vincent Bergin, the audit manager for Anglo, with numerous changes, including insertions and deletions of entire paragraphs, suggested by investigators.

The ….read more

(Pictured: Witness Mr Kevin O’Connell. Credit: Collins)

A lead investigator into allegations of crimes by former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick has admitted shredding documents that he should not have shredded.

Mr FitzPatrick (68) is accused of failing to disclose multi-million euro loans to auditors. The prosecution alleges that the amount of the loans was “artificially reduced” for a period of two weeks around the bank’s financial end of year statement by short term loans from other sources, including Irish Nationwide Building Society.

On day 71 of the trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Bernard Condon SC, defending, continued his cross-examination of ….read more

(Pictured: Mr Sean FitzPatrick. Credit: Collins)

The lead investigator into allegations of financial crimes by former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick has accepted that aspects of his investigation were “colossally prejudiced”.

Counsel for Mr FitzPatrick (68) described as “an outrage” a decision by Kevin O’Connell, an investigator with the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE), not to ask witnesses certain questions because they might “undermine” his case.

Mr FitzPatrick is accused of failing to disclose multi-million euro loans to auditors. The prosecution alleges that the amount of the loans was “artificially reduced” for a period of two weeks around the ….read more

(Pictured: Sean FitzPatrick. Credit: Collins)

Former non-executive director with Anglo Irish Bank Fintan Drury has told the trial of Seán FitzPatrick that he was not aware of the bank’s extensive loans to the accused until December 2008.

On day 67 of the trial John Rowan, a former executive director with the bank, also testified that he did not have any knowledge of the accused’s practice of moving loans to Irish Nationwide.

Loans taken out by Mr FitzPatrick (68), his wife and family members increased from about €10 million in 2002 to €103 million in 2007. Mr FitzPatrick, the bank’s former chairman, is accused ….read more

(Pictured: Seán FitzPatrick. Credit: Collins)

The former chairman of Anglo Irish Bank was borrowing millions up to 2008 to invest in hotels, property syndicates and oil refinery projects, a jury has heard.

Seán FitzPatrick (68) is on trial accused of failing to disclose to auditors the extent of multi-million euro loans linked to him.

The State’s case is that loans taken out by the accused, his wife and family members increased from in the region of €10 million in 2002 to around €100 million in 2007.

The prosecution alleges that the amount of these loans was “artificially reduced” for a period of two weeks ….read more

(Pictured: Mr Sean FitzPatrick. Credit: Collins)

A solicitor who played a “very significant role” in the investigation of allegations against former Anglo Irish Bank chairman, Sean FitzPatrick, has denied suggestions that political or public outrage ever influenced the case.

Mr FitzPatrick (68) of Whitshed Road, Greystones, Co Wicklow, is accused of misleading auditors about multi-million euro loans between 2002 and 2007.

He has pleaded not guilty to to 27 offences under the 1990 Companies Act. These include 22 charges of making a misleading, false or deceptive statement to auditors and five charges of furnishing false information in the years 2002 to 2007.

Kevin O’Connell ….read more