Date set for jury selection in Anglo conspiracy trial

A date has been set for the empanelling of a jury in the case of four former bankers on charges of conspiring to mislead Anglo Irish Bank's investors about the true value of its deposit books.

Judge Martin Nolan said the Courts Service had listed the case before him at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to advise both the prosecution and defence teams that there was a plan to swear in the jury on January 8th next for the trial to begin on January 11th, 2016.

Barristers for the accused men agreed to this but indicated that there would most likely be a week of legal argument before evidence would begin before the jury panel.

Anglo's former director of finance Willie McAteer (63), who has an address at Greenrath, Tipperary, Co Tipperary will stand trial alongside three other Anglo and Irish Life and Permanent officials.

They are: John Bowe (50), from Glasnevin in Dublin, who had been head of capital markets at Anglo Irish Bank; Denis Casey (54), from Raheny, Dublin, who was chief executive of Irish Life and Permanent (IL&P) until 2009; and Peter Fitzpatrick (61), from Malahide, Dublin, who is a former IL&P director of finance.

They have been charged with conspiring to mislead investors by transferring €7.2 billion to make the bank appear more valuable between March to September 2008.

Mr Bowe and Mr McAteer also face one additional charge each that they falsified accounts contrary to section 10 of the Theft and Fraud Act. All four men deny the charges.