HSBC bosses may be grilled over accounts

The Dáil’s spending watchdog will attempt to haul in the chief executive of HSBC over concerns the bank’s Swiss branch holds a large number of accounts owned by Irish tax dodgers.

The public accounts committee confirmed it will shortly write to the bank’s senior officials after chairman Douglas Flint and chief executive Stuart Gulliver attended a similar meeting on Wednesday in Britain’s Houses of Parliament.

Speaking as the PAC examined a detailed 16-page document on the Irish aspect of the issue, Waterford TD John Deasy said it was time for the HSBC hierarchy to explain to the Dáil what was going on.