The High Court has received the first interim report of the inspectors appointed by it to investigate the conduct of affairs at Independent News & Media.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has appealed for staff at INM to be supported to continue their work when High Court inspectors begin their investigations into the company’s affairs.

The State’s corporate watchdog has said it was “absolutely wrong” for INM to claim it was deprived until March last of information casting doubt on its former chairman Leslie Buckley’s explanation for the removal of data from INM in 2014.

Independent News & Media has a “very high standard” of corporate governance procedures and would have told the State’s corporate watchdog so, had he made it aware he had concerns in that regard, the High Court has been told.

The President of the High Court has approved arrangements governing access to documents to be used for an application by the State’s corporate watchdog for appointment of inspectors to Independent News and Media plc.

Ireland’s largest publishing firm, the stock market-listed Independent News and Media, has been thrown into crisis amid serious allegations by the State’s corporate enforcer that include claims of governance misdeeds and email hacks.

Independent News and Media company has advised the 19 people caught up in an alleged data breach the information belonging to them may have been “searched more extensively and for a different purpose” than first thought.

The Press Ombudsman Peter Feeney has described the possibility that emails at Independent News & Media (INM) were accessed by an external company as “deeply disturbing”.

The Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) will investigate whether personal data was accessed in the alleged data breach at Independent News and Media (INM).

The Government has pledged a new, more powerful, standalone corporate governance agency will scrutinise business and be better equipped to probe any breaches of company law.

Hiring six senior accountants for the Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) took more than two years amid chaos over getting the jobs approved and advertised.

The State’s botched investigation against ex-banker Seán FitzPatrick was undermined by the fact that untrained officials were tasked with taking key evidence because other prioritised Anglo investigations were draining vital resources.

Any new version of the Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement will repeat the failures of the current model unless the Government changes the funding and staffing arrangements too, a leading anti-corruption watchdog has warned.

Outraged TDs are demanding a review of agencies investigating criminality and have called for the setting up of a white-collar crime bureau.

IT IS a fundamental rule of law that everyone — from prince to pauper — is entitled to the presumption of innocence and to a fair trial, no matter what criminal charges they face. 

It follows yesterday’s decision by Judge John Aylmer to direct the jury to acquit.

Gardaí have never investigated a State official’s destruction of documents related to the investigation of alleged crimes by former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick, a trial has heard.

The Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) said yesterday it hopes to have six forensic accountants in place by the end of the summer.

Director of corporate enforcement Ian Drennan has hailed as a success his office’s long-running investigation into business practices at the former Anglo Irish Bank.

The Office of Corporate Enforcement has finished the majority of their investigations into the former Anglo Irish Bank, leading to 60 charges being brought against a number of people in court.

The Department of Justice is looking into extending the terms of detention for suspects of white collar crime, according to Justice Minister Alan Shatter.

An auditing chief has been appointed to fill the role of the outgoing director of corporate enforcement, Paul Appleby.

Ian Drennan has been named as the new Director of Corporate Enforcement.

THE board of the Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority (IAASA) held its first meeting in Dublin yesterday.

ACCA (The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) has welcomed the establishment of the Irish Accounting and Auditing Supervisory Authority (IAASA) and the appointment of Ian Drennan as IAASA’s first chief executive.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (ICAI) has welcomed the appointment of Ian Drennan as Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority (IAASA).

Trade and Commerce Minister Michael Ahern has appointed Ian Drennan chief executive officer (designate) of the Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority (IAASA).