The former EU Commissioner, Mr Peter Sutherland, is among the 120 people named by the authorised officer, Mr Gerard Ryan, in his confidential Ansbacher report.
Both the former Attorney General and his father, Mr W.G. Sutherland, feature in various transactions involving the Guinness & Mahon bank in Dublin with a reference to the Channel Islands company, College Trustees Ltd. Mr Sutherland has already stated that he had "no account with College Trustees nor any beneficial interest in College Trustees."
It is understood that the 300-page Ansbacher report found that there was a connection between College Trustees Ltd and Ansbacher (Cayman) Ltd. The report contains a list of 120 people, nearly 100 of whom are categorised as Ansbacher depositors although some deposits may have been held through trusts, and the remainder as beneficiaries of Ansbacher (Cayman) Ltd or companies linked to it.
Merely being a depositor or beneficiary of an Ansbacher-related account does not mean that persons concerned were engaged in any wrong-doing.
The Fine Gael MEP for Dublin, Ms Mary Banotti, is also named in the list in connection with two European Parliament expenses cheques made out to her, totalling £840 sterling, which were lodged to the Ansbacher account in Guinness & Mahon in Dublin.
Mr Ken O'Reilly-Hyland, former chairman of Burmah Castrol who was appointed as a director of the Central Bank by a former administration, is named on the inspector's list, together with other O'Reilly-Hylands. Mr O'Reilly-Hyland was chairman of the Fianna Fail fund-raising committee during Mr Charles Haughey's period as leader.
Dr Tony O'Reilly, chairman of Independent News and Media, is described as a depositor on the list prepared by the State-appointed authorised officer. Two other directors of Fitzwilton and In- dependent newspapers, Mr Jim McCarthy and Mr Vincent Ferguson, are also named.
The chairman of Bord na Mona, Mr Pat Dineen, is listed as a depositor of Ansbacher (Cayman) Ltd. From Cork, he has been a leading figure in the insurance industry for many years.
The late Mr Hugh Coveney, Fine Gael TD for Cork South-Central, was also a depositor, according to the inspector's report. Mr Clayton Love Junior, the Cork property developer, is similarly listed.
Others depositors named are the late Mr Harry Murray, founder of Murrays Rent-a-Car, and Mr Harry T. Murray, a director of the company.
Two other depositors are Mr Sam Stephenson, the well-known architect who designed Dublin's Civic Offices and the Central Bank headquarters, and his former partner, Mr Arthur Gibney.
Mr Jim Culliton, chairman of Hibernian Group, is listed in the report as a depositor of Ansbacher (Cayman) Ltd. He is former chief executive of Cement Roadstone Holdings (CRH).
In her affidavit to the High Court last Wednesday the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, stated that of the 15 members of the board of directors of CRH plc in 1987, the authorised officer had found evidence which indicated that eight were "the beneficiaries of deposits" placed with Ansbacher (Cayman) Ltd.
"This strongly suggests that a substantial number of the directors knew that an unlicensed bank was operating from its registered office. It also suggests that some of the directors may have been aware that the company was assisting Irish individuals or companies in evading tax," she said.
The eight directors, confirmed by The Irish Times, are: Mr Des Traynor, CRH chairman between 1987 and 1994; the current chairman of CRH, Mr Tony Barry; Mr Jim Culliton; former Goff's Bloodstock sales director, Dr Michael Dargan; former director of the New Ireland Assurance company, Mr Gerry Hickey; former Irish Life chief executive, Mr Bob Willis; the late Mr Diarmuid Quirke; and Mr Richard F. Wood.
