Trial of ex-Anglo chief David Drumm close to conclusion, judge says

51-year-old denies false accounting and conspiring to defraud depositors and investors

The jury in former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm's conspiracy to defraud trial has been told that the prosecution will conclude its evidence next week.

Judge Karen O’Connor said the trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, which has been heard over 72 days, is very close to its conclusion.

Mr Drumm (51), of Skerries, Co Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to conspiring with former bank officials Denis Casey, William McAteer, John Bowe and others to defraud depositors and investors at Anglo by "dishonestly" creating the impression that deposits in 2008 were €7.2 billion larger than they were.

He has also pleaded not guilty to false accounting on December 3rd, 2008, by furnishing information to the market that Anglo’s 2008 deposits were €7.2 billion larger than they were.

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Sinead McGrath BL, prosecuting, read a witness statement from Lorraine Hanrahan, who had a managerial role at Irish Life Investment Managers (ILIM) at the time of the transactions.

Confidential

In the statement, Ms Hanrahan confirmed she was aware of the September and October 2008 transactions between ILIM and Anglo Irish Bank. She stated that when she was briefed, she was told that the proposed deals were to be kept confidential. She said she initially spoke with her own manager as she was concerned that the payments to be deposited with Anglo were large.

Ms Hanrahan told gardaí­ that these transactions were "non-standard" because of the amounts involved and that it was not normal for Permanent TSB to have acted as an agent for ILIM in the deals.

She said she had to use a temporary account during the €1billion transactions to balance statements and that it was unusual to put such amounts across this type of account.

The jury also saw copies of statements showing four transactions of €1billion between Anglo and Irish Life & Permanent.

Judge O’Connor reminded the four women and 10 men of the enlarged jury not to carry out their own research or engage with anyone on the matter, before sending them for an extended weekend.

The trial continues in legal argument on Friday with the jury returning on Monday to hear more evidence.