Fury as Trichet snubs inquiry

THE former head of the European Central Bank (ECB) has sparked anger in Government circles after stating he will not appear before the banking inquiry which is due to get under way later this year.

The nine-man inquiry team is expected to be announced today, and will be headed by Labour TD Ciarán Lynch.

In an early setback to its work, Jean Claude Trichet said that he would not be giving evidence because the bank guarantee decision of September 2008 was made by the Government “absolutely alone.”