Cowen rejects Anglo 'juvenile conspiracy'

TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen has rejected as “a juvenile conspiracy theory” any suggestion that he was shielding anyone involved in the Anglo Irish Bank saga.

In angry exchanges in the Dáil Mr Cowen also accused Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny of impugning his reputation, which Mr Kenny rejected out of hand.

Mr Kenny had earlier derided the Green Party for not being in the chamber during the exchanges and claimed the Greens “will bleat in the distance for resignations and action. The posteriors of these Ministers are super-glued to their seats at Cabinet”.

The Fine Gael leader, who accused the Government of being “timid” in dealing with the financial crisis, on Tuesday referred to a “golden circle” of 10 investors who took loans of €300 million from Anglo Irish Bank to boost its share value.

Yesterday he said he was asking Mr Cowen for the third time to name them. And he asked if a British financial institution was involved in the transaction.

He also wanted to know if any Cabinet member “in any way encouraged, was associated with or supported” activity by those in the “golden circle”.

But Mr Cowen rounded on the Fine Gael leader and said: “I reject this idea that he doesn’t wish to impugn my integrity because he’s been putting out statements that certainly do impugn my integrity.”

Mr Kenny said he would withdraw any remark about the Taoiseach’s personal integrity.

“I would never do that and never have in my 33 years in politics.”

“Well I’ll tell you. . . you did it last night, never mind 32 years in politics,” said Mr Cowen. He added that “you’re suggesting I’m protecting people I don’t even know who they are”.

“Far from seeking to protect anybody, which is a nice juvenile conspiracy theory that you’ve been going around with for the last three weeks, every decision. . . has been in the interest of the taxpayer and in the public interest and no one else’s interest,” the Taoiseach said.

Mr Cowen told Mr Kenny “this suggestion of protection is a totally baseless one. . . it’s a political slur and a political smear campaign. . . to see if you can get some cynical, political advantage from it.” Mr Cowen said he was working to hold people accountable.

The Fine Gael leader asked “who in Heaven’s name made a decision not to pursue these 10 people for €75 million which is owed back to the taxpayer? This is what they were liable for and last year for the sake of €100 million you put 20,000 elderly people on the streets outside this House”.