Department denies boss’s involvement in US censure

The Department of Finance has said claims that its new secretary general headed up a company when it was censured by a top-level US watchdog are incorrect.

Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty was thrown out of the Dáil chambers after he claimed that John Moran headed up a section of Zurich Capital Markets during the period in question.

Mr Doherty said the group was fined €16.8m by the US Securities and Exchange Commission for aiding and abetting hedge funds in defrauding mutual funds.