Anglo trial one of Ireland’s biggest ever

The high-profile trial of three former Anglo Irish Bank executives including the bank’s former chairman, Seán FitzPatrick, will open at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today.

The case, which is likely to be one of the biggest in Irish legal history, arises out of the long-running investigation into the collapsed bank by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement.

Mr FitzPatrick and his former colleagues, Anglo’s finance director William McAteer and head of Irish operations Pat Whelan, are each charged on 16 counts of unlawfully providing financial assistance to individuals for the purpose of buying shares in Anglo.

Mr FitzPatrick, aged 64, of Whitshed Rd, Greystones, Co Wicklow; Mr McAteer, aged 62, of Auburn Villas, Rathgar; and Mr Whelan, aged 50, of Coast Rd, Malahide, have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The 16 charges relate to each of 16 specific individuals who allegedly received financial assistance to buy Anglo shares on dates in 2008. They include the members of the “Maple 10” group of businessmen including developers Paddy McKillen, Gerard Gannon, and Joseph O’Reilly as well as the bankrupt businessman Seán Quinn and several of his children.

Mr Whelan has also pleaded not guilty to seven additional charges of being privy to fraudulently altered loan facility letters sent to seven of the borrowers relating to the purchase of the Anglo shares.

The trial is due to begin today at 11am in Court 19 at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin in front of Judge Martin Nolan.

Some of the country’s best-known criminal barristers are also involved, including senior counsel Paul O’Higgins and Úna ní Raifeartaigh who will represent the State. Mr FitzPatrick will be represented by Michael O’Higgins, while Mr McAteer will be represented by Patrick Gageby and Mr Whelan by Brendan Grehan.

Last Friday, a jury of 15 people were empanelled after 350 people answered a jury summons to appear from a list of 1,500 summons which were issued.

It is the first time that a jury in excess of the traditional maximum of 12 has been used following the passing of an amendment last year to the Juries Act 1976 to allow for extra jury members for lengthy trials.

Only 12 of the jury of eight men and seven women will actually decide on the verdicts but the additional jurors will hear all the evidence and act as replacements in the event that any other juror cannot attend the entire trial.

Judge Nolan has signalled the trial will last several months, though it is expected to end before June.

Due to the large volume of documents used in evidence, jurors will be provided with laptops to access records. The case involves about 24m court documents which include around 800 witness statements.

The trial is being staged in the largest courtroom of the Criminal Courts of Justice complex in order to accommodate the large number of legal teams, witnesses, and media representatives. Proceedings will also be shown via video link in an overflow courtroom, given the anticipated public interest.