Ross: Bank inquiry will be show trial

The Oireachtas banking inquiry will "inevitably descend into a show trial", Shane Ross has warned.

The high-profile commentator on the financial crisis said he did not want to take part in the probe as it was the wrong format and he had been “extremely judgemental” about bankers involved in the collapse.

He accused the Government of teeing-up the probe as a general election prop in order to discredit Fianna Fáil. Mr Ross said he did not want to take part in a “show trial”.

“I am not going to apply, I am not going to seek, and I shall not accept, a nomination to be on the banking inquiry,” he said.

“Quite specifically because I’ve written a book called The Bankers. It was extremely judgmental about the bankers. It was clearly what my view was, not only on bank behaviour and individuals, but on excessive remuneration and lending.”

Government chief whip Paul Kehoe said the committee, to be made up of seven TDs and two senators, would seek the truth about what happened.

Fianna Fáil’s Michael McGrath, his party’s nominee for the inquiry, said he expected the probe to hear from former FF leaders Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen, and stated he expected both men to co-operate with the investigation.