AN INVESTIGATION into an Irish Nationwide Building Society (INBS) manager’s handling of the accounts of a property developer is to remain on hold until next week, the High Court heard yesterday.
Noel Harrington, manager of the INBS branch at Cruise’s Street, Limerick, has been suspended on pay and has brought court proceedings seeking to lift that suspension and halt the investigation on grounds including that approval was given at INBS head office level for the accounts of the developer.
Mr Harrington, Mill Road, Corbally, Limerick, claims he had not been told of the investigation’s terms of reference although it has been going on for six months. The case was before the High Court yesterday, after Mr Harrington was given permission on Monday to serve notice of the proceedings on the INBS. After Ms Justice Mary Laffoy was told INBS was prepared to put the investigation on hold until Monday, the judge adjourned the proceedings to then.
She also said that issues arising from Mr Harrington’s affidavit could be dealt with later.
In his proceedings, Mr Harrington claims an investigation commenced last September concerning his conduct at the branch.
The court heard Mr Harrington was suspended on pay on January 26th, with the keys of the branch taken from him and he was told to have nothing to do with staff or customers.
The INBS later appointed a purported independent investigation into these matters, but Mr Harrington had failed to find out if he was being disciplined or what particular facts were being alleged against him, his counsel said.