Watchdog accepts criticism after judge acquits ex-Anglo chief Sean FitzPatrick

The Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) has said it fully accepts a judge's criticism of its investigation into the former chairman of Anglo Irish Bank after he was acquitted of misleading auditors.

Sean FitzPatrick was on trial for the last 126 days accused of "artificially reducing" personal loans for a few weeks around the end of the defunct bank's financial year to avoid their full value being shown in accounts.