Quinns may give evidence at Anglo trial

Some members of the family of bankrupt businessman Seán Quinn may be called to give evidence for the prosecution in the criminal trials of former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick and two former executives of the bank, Willie McAteer and Pat Whelan.

Counsel for the Quinns, Martin Hayden SC yesterday indicated in the Commercial Court that as it appears some of the Quinns “are in fact witnesses for the prosecution”, they are unlikely to oppose an application by the DPP to defer their own court action against the bank pending the outcome of those criminal proceedings.

It also emerged yesterday about 250 hours of transcripts of phone conversations dating from 2007 between Anglo, the Department of Finance and the Central Bank, as regulator of Anglo concerning matters arising from Seán Quinn’s building up a stake in the bank to 29.4% have been discovered by IBRC for the family’s action.

Mr Hayden said it had only became obvious from the transcripts the “level of interaction” between the department, Central Bank and Anglo. His side was “firmly of the view” there were grounds for joining the department and Central Bank but needed another four weeks for a proper review.

The criminal proceedings are due for mention on Jan 23 next.