AIB misled watchdog on €25m scandal

THE €25 million overcharging scandal at AIB bank could have been detected as far back as 1998, it emerged last night.

The bank was asked by the consumer affairs director in March 1998 to audit all customers charges. It told the then-director, charges were in order even though foreign exchange customers were being asked to pay twice the appropriate rate.

When asked, yesterday, whether anyone in AIB was aware of the overcharging at the time of informing the consumer affairs office that all charges were in order, a bank spokesman had no comment to make.