I am being made scapegoat over loans, claims manager

A HIGH Court judge will today hold a full hearing into an injunction application by a senior building society manager who claims he has been victimised over the granting of loans to solicitors Michael Lynn and Thomas Byrne.

Brian Fitzgibbon, 41, who is home loans manager with the Irish Nationwide Building Society (INBS) last Friday obtained an interim injunction stopping his suspension by his employers.

He claimed he had been made a scapegoat over the granting of loans to the solicitors who are under investigation by the Garda fraud squad and whose practices have been closed by the Law Society. He claims INBS managing director, Michael Fingleton, by-passed the society’s own lending procedures and he (Fingleton) personally approved a €4.1m loan towards the purchase of Mr Lynn’s proposed new home, Glenlion House in Howth, Dublin.

Mr Fitzgibbon, who started work with INBS in 2000 and was appointed home loans manager in 2006, also claims the society had leaked his suspension to the media suggesting it had to do with Byrne and Lynn. He was concerned this would cause damage to his reputation and result in “catastrophic consequences” for his career and livelihood.

The case was yesterday back before the High Court which heard INBS had replied to Mr Fitzgibbon’s affidavit filed last Friday.

John Gordon SC, for Mr Fitzgibbon, said his client would be in a position to respond to an affidavit for INBS before close of business yesterday.

Ercus Stewart SC, for INBS, said their side had organised a responding affidavit within the time requested by Mr Fitzgibbon’s side and no ex-parte application had been needed.

Mr Justice Frank Clarke said he would be in a position to hear the matter in full today. The injunction continues in place until then. It prevents Mr Fitzgibbon’s suspension and stops a meeting which was to take place between him and his employers yesterday.