Four former bankers plead not guilty to conspiracy to defraud

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Peter Fitzpatrick, Denis Casey, John Bowe and Willie McAteer pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to defraud at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, reported on 16 May 2016. The alleged €7.2bn transaction scheme concerned efforts to bolster Anglo Irish Bank’s balance sheet.

After closing speeches, Judge Martin Nolan told the jury the accused were entitled to a fair trial and that prejudice should not influence deliberations. The judge was due to continue explaining the applicable legal rules before the jury considered its verdict.

Defence counsel argued that the prosecution had not established an intention to defraud and said the defendants had not personally benefited from the transaction.