Courts / Wicklow / Report

Auditor witness tells trial he is there to give "unvarnished truth"

Summary

In the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, former Anglo Irish Bank auditor Vincent Bergin testified that he was willing to give the "unvarnished truth" even if it conflicted with his audit firm EY's interests. He confirmed that multi‑million euro loans taken by Sean FitzPatrick (68) and his family were allegedly "artificially reduced" for two weeks around the bank's year‑end by short‑term loans from other sources, including Irish Nationwide Building Society. Bergin, who led the audit from 2005 to 2008, said he would admit mistakes if they existed and that he had sworn an oath to tell the truth. He also noted that the bank had sued EY in 2012 and that EY was involved in proceedings with the Chartered Accountants Regulatory Board. The trial, which had been adjourned for a legal matter, continues tomorrow. Sean FitzPatrick pleaded not guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Auditor witness tells trial he is there to give "unvarnished truth". Charges or matters: 27 offences under the 1990 Companies Act. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• May 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2002 to 2007 Other
• 2005 to 2008 Other
• 2017-02-23 Publication

Why: "The problem here is we don't have the unvarnished Vincent Bergin view because everybody else has been sticking their nose in," counsel asked. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

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Read the original CNI report