Fingleton ran Nationwide as ‘personal bank’

THE former chief executive of Irish Nationwide, Michael Fingleton, operated special loan facilities for “unlimited amounts of money” for his friends in the media, government and social circles, an Employment Appeals Tribunal heard yesterday.

Olivia Greene, a former loan supervisor at Irish Nationwide, claimed Mr Fingleton ran the building society like a “personal bank”.

“The loan culture was giving those people whatever they wanted,” said Ms Greene, who said such clients enjoyed more preferential treatment than ordinary customers of Irish Nationwide.