THE DIRECTOR of Corporate Enforcement, Paul Appleby, has referred at least 15 files relating to Anglo Irish Bank to the gardaí as he believes the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation are better equipped to investigate them, according to a senior Government Minister.
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Batt O’Keeffe said that since his appointment, he had met Mr Appleby and asked him what progress his office was making in its investigation into the affairs of Anglo Irish Bank.
Mr O’Keeffe said that in the course of his meeting with Mr Appleby, he made it clear to him that the Government was anxious to have the affairs of Anglo investigated as efficiently and effectively as possible.
“During the course of that meeting, he indicated to me that there were a number of cases that could not be pursued by himself but rather would better be pursued by the fraud squad and he has referred at least 15 cases to the fraud squad for them to investigate.
“So we as a Government are leaving it in the hands of the fraud squad and the hands of the Registrar of Corporate Enforcement to ensure that they pursue all of these matters to their ultimate conclusion,” he said.
Speaking in Cork, Mr O’Keeffe was responding to comments by Fine Gael finance spokesman Michael Noonan, who had criticised “the slow pace of the investigation” into Anglo Irish Bank compared to the speed of similar type inquiries in the US.
But Mr O’Keeffe strongly defended the Government’s handling of the investigation.
The Minister also strongly criticised Mr Noonan if he was suggesting that the Government should intervene directly in the investigation.
“I find it absolutely outrageous that Michael Noonan would ask the Government to interfere with the judiciary . . . it has to have regard to the right of the individual under the Constitution and surely Michael Noonan is not asking our Government to interfere with the judiciary,” the Minister said.
“If he is, it’s an outrageous call and one we reject. As a Government, we want to ensure anybody who breaks the law is penalised by the law, but we also understand there are processes which have to be followed and one is that a person is innocent until proven guilty,” Mr O’Keeffe added.
Mr O’Keeffe said the Government was committed to ensuring that anyone who “fractured the law” was accountable at the end of the day and while it would suit the Government to have immediate action taken, it must allow the gardaí do their job.
“The gardaí have a job to do and that is to ensure that they can put forward a case that will be taken up by the DPP until such time as the gardaí, are clear-cut in what they can prove in terms of fraud in a court of law.
“We must have patience and allow them get on with their job,” he added.
