Appleby’s successor will need to be more proactive with investigations

IT was probably good news that the boss at the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) agreed to stay in his job for another six months rather than opting for the retirement he had decided to take at the end of February. Probably, but not definitely, because while the State does not need a transition of power in the office to create any adverse legal issues that could hinder prosecutions arising from ongoing investigations, the jury remains out as to how good Paul Appleby has been at doing his job.

The length of time being taken on the Anglo Irish Bank investigation is deeply worrying. It is to be hoped that everything is being prepared properly to ensure that any prosecutions are warranted and, given the cost involved in the three-year investigation, then successful. All of these financial shenanigans are believed to be very complicated. Even if they look to be wrong, on an ethical, moral or practical basis, it is entirely possible that no laws have been broken, if only because no laws were put in place to stop things that had never been envisaged.