Cavan judge appointed to Anglo executive hearings

Seamus Enright A Cavan-born judge has been appointed to the hearing of cases involving several high-profile former Anglo Irish bank executives brought before the Criminal Courts in Dublin in recent days. Cormac Dunne from Cavan town was present when, on Monday, former Anglo Irish Bank finance director, Willie McAteer, and the bank's former managing director for Ireland, Patrick Whelan, were charged, and again yesterday (Tuesday), when former Anglo Irish Bank chairman and chief executive Sean FitzPatrick was brought before the court. All three men face fraud charges relating to giving unlawful financial assistance to 16 named individuals, including Ballyconnell businessman Sean Quinn and his family, in connection with the purchase of shares in the then Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Plc, now the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC). It is alleged the trio were involved in giving unlawful financial help to buy shares between July 10 and July 17, 2008 to 15 people, including members of the so-called infamous "Maple Ten" group of Irish investors, as well as members of the Quinn family; and from July 17 until July 30, of the same year, to Patricia Quinn, the wife of now-bankrupt local quarry tycoon. Granting bail, Judge Dunne ordered Mr FitzPatrick to sign on every Wednesday at Irishtown Garda station in Dublin, reside at his current address and give gardaí 48 hours notice if he intends to change address or leave the country. Similar conditions were also applied to McAteer and Whelan before their release on conditional bail of €1,000 last Monday, with independent surety of €10,000. All three have been bailed and will reappear before the court on October 8.