Gardaí investigate 'deleted accounts'

TWO FORMER senior figures at Anglo Irish Bank are under investigation for allegedly lodging money on deposit in Anglo offshore accounts before withdrawing it and then trying to delete all record of the accounts.

The Irish Timeshas learned the new management team at the bank became aware of the deleted accounts and began gathering evidence, which has now been passed on to gardaí.

The Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation is investigating the matter and the two former executives have been contacted by detectives. Sources said the sums of money lodged to the accounts were significant.

The accounts were held in Anglo’s overseas operations. Sources said the suspect activities occurred in recent years.

Gardaí are investigating if the monies were generated from activities that were never declared to Revenue or if there was another reason why the accounts were emptied and erased.

While the accounts were deleted, a number of information technology and forensic accountancy experts have managed to recover the deleted electronic records and have examined them.

The records have now been passed on to the same joint Garda and Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) team that has been investigating wider practices in Anglo.

The Irish Times understands the material recovered to date shows a clear and complete record of the cash movements linked to the accounts.

“It’s all there,” said one source.

Gardaí are now trying to trace where the money went and whether it is currently being concealed by the two men at the centre of the inquiry.

If it is proven the money is of questionable origin or that the records were deleted to hide the money or frustrate any investigation into its origins, this would give rise to criminal charges outside the much more complex wider investigation into Anglo.

The joint ODCE and Garda investigation into matters at Anglo prior to its nationalisation in January 2009 is expected to be “substantially complete” by the end of this year, the High Court was told yesterday.

Last month Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy indicated that the Anglo investigation is reaching a conclusion, saying he expected the Director of Public Prosecutions to be in able to decide what, if any, criminal charges will be pressed by the end of the year.