Former Anglo Irish Bank executive William McAteer and three co-accused will stand trial in 2016 on charges of conspiring to mislead the bank's investors about the true value of the its deposit books.
The four men appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court this/yesterday (FRI) morning where a trial date was set for January 11, 2016.
Mr McAteer (63), who has an address at Greenrath, Tipperary town, Co. Tipperary will stand trial alongside three other Anglo and Irish Life and Permanent officials.
They are: John Bowe (50), from Glasnevin in Dublin, who had been head of capital markets at Anglo Irish Bank; Denis Casey (54), from Raheny, Dublin, who was chief executive of Irish Life and Permanent (IL&P) until 2009 and Peter Fitzpatrick (61), from Malahide, Dublin, who had been IL&P's former director of finance.
They have been charged with conspiring to mislead investors by transferring €7.2 billion to make the bank appear more valuable between March and September 2008.
Mr Bowe and Mr McAteer also face one additional charge each that they falsified accounts contrary to section 10 of the Theft and Fraud Act.
The court heard it is a very complex case with massive disclosure issues still to be dealt with. Judge Mary Ellen Ring suggested a trial date for late 2015.
“The longer there is no trial date, the harder it is to get people to concentrate on it,” Judge Ring warned. “The longer you put it off, the longer it is in the list, the longer it will hang over all parties.”
Counsel for the prosecution, Diane Stuart BL, assured the judge that “minds are focused” in the matter.
Judge Ring consented to a January 2016 date and put the matter in for November 24th, 2014, to deal with any disclosure issues.
She also granted to a defence application to excuse the four men from court dates until their trial.