New laws to tackle white-collar crime

NEW laws will speed up investigations into white-collar crime, including the huge probe into Anglo Irish Bank, Justice Minister Alan Shatter says.

Mr Shatter said legislation will be published within six weeks which will provide new powers to gardaí to demand access to documents and information and prosecute those who fail to co-operate.

The justice minister was speaking at a conference on white-collar crime — entitled From Cufflinks to Handcuffs — which heard warnings from leading lawyers that any future trials in the Anglo probe run the risk of being ruled unfair because of the level of “public vilification” of individuals under investigation.